India: efforts to enhance mango production needed

The chairman, Goa State Horticultural Corporation Ltd, Mr Girish Chodankar said that though there has been a good potential for marketing Mankurad mangoes, cashew nuts and even papaya in the various parts of the country as well as its export to the foreign countries, no systematic efforts have been initiated in the state of Goa to enhance the production of these fruits. He said that there is an urgent need to motivate the Goan youth to put up efforts for the enhancement of this production and maintain the fruit culture of Goa.

While addressing the gathering after formally inaugurating the day-long workshop on ‘Production and marketing of mankurad mangoes’ at ICAR Research Complex, Old Goa, Mr Chodankar appealed to the state government to make available storing capacity for Mankurad mangoes in Goa so that these fruits can be made available for sale throughout the year. The workshop was organised under the joint auspices of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at ICAR Research Complex, Old Goa, Goa State Horticultural Corporation Ltd. and department of agriculture.

While underlining the need to evolve a pension scheme for the Padelies, the labour engaged in coconut plucking, Mr Chodankar opined that it is equally needed to initiate a training programme in the field of gardening as well as plucking the coconuts, particularly for the dropout children in the state.

Mr R P Pal, secretary, agriculture in his address expressed the need to initiate training programme for youth so that the growing demand of skilled manpower in the field of agriculture and horticulture can be met with. An interaction among the producers and the representatives of the processing industries of the horticultural products is equally needed, he added.

While briefing the audience on various farmers assistance programmes under the National Horticultural Mission, Mr Pal opined that Jatropa planting alongside the roads can be undertaken by the members of various self-help groups, with the help of PWD authorities.

Earlier, Dr V S Korikanthimath, director, ICAR Research Complex at Old Goa, in his address spoke about the importance of Mankurad mango in the state of Goa and lamented that no attempt has so far been made to take up Mankurad mango cultivation in the state on commercial basis.

The day-long workshop, which was attended by good number of mango growers from various parts of the state, handled various aspects of mango cultivation such as overview of mango cultivation, varietal improvement in Mankurad mango, integrated paste and disease management, plant material production in mango, value addition and marketing of mango fruits etc.

Source: navhindtimes.com