Kesar mango fest brings consumers, farmers together

Ahmedabad: Gujarat govt on Wednesday launched its annual
Kesar Mango Festival 2025
at
Ahmedabad Haat
in Vastrapur, featuring premium mangoes from eight districts including Junagadh, Talala and Gir Somnath. The Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC)-organized event hosts 85 stalls, enabling
direct farmer-to-consumer sales
of
carbide-free mangoes
.
The festival showcases kesar mangoes from Valsad, Navsari, Dang, Narmada and Kutch regions."This platform eliminates middlemen, improving our profits and market reach," said Harsh Patel, a vendor from Talala. Another vendor Meet Vala, "Such events facilitate direct consumer interaction and motivate us to improve production."The state horticulture department's exhibition features diverse mango varieties from across India, including Totapuri from Andhra Pradesh, Rajapuri from Maharashtra and Langda from Uttar Pradesh.
Gujarat's mango production has shown impressive growth, recording a 10.9% CAGR with production of 2.4 lakh metric tonnes, according to the India 2024 Horticulture Report. Officials anticipate sales of over 2.50 lakh kilograms during the festival. The event has received positive response from visitors. "I have never seen so many mango varieties in one place. This is a good way to learn about horticulture and mango varieties," said local resident Meena Shah. Ramesh Solanki, a software engineer from Satellite, said, "This is more than just a fruit festival. It's a showcase of Gujarat's agri-excellence." The festival continues for a month at Ahmedabad Haat, offering citizens direct access to premium kesar mangoes while supporting local farmers. — Inputs by Navya Nair and Palak Yadav

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