Mango, the King of Fruits needs no introduction. This most sought after fruit has a very rich legacy. In Maharashtra, diverse varieties of mango are cultivated in traditional and non-traditional areas. This diversity was showcased at the unique Indigenous Mango Diversity Festival hosted by BAIF at its Head Office in Pune.
The exhibition displayed more than 330 indigenous varieties cultivated in Ahilyanagar, Pune, Satara, Dharashiv, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Latur districts each with its distinct characteristics, origin and cultural significance. The festival brought together conservationists, researchers, field practitioners and consumers with the common goal of conservation of unique agrobiodiversity for climate resilience, nutritional security, dietary diversity and as a secure food for future generations. Major discussions focussed on candidate selection, genomic and nutritional studies, genome saviours database, value addition and building a platform for knowledge enrichment.
The festival was inaugurated by Sayaji Shinde, Founder, Sahyadri Devarai Foundation in the presence of Dr. Ashok Giri, Senior Scientist, National Chemcial Laboratory, Pune, Dr. Subhash Bhalekar, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, Pune, Mr. Amit Gadre, Sakal Agrowon, Dr. Santosh Suryavanshi, Ayurveda Expert, Dr. Ankur Patwardhan, former Head of the Department of Biodiversity, Garware College, Pune, Dr. Sujata Taitali, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV & FRA), Branch Office, Pune, BAIF Senior Management – Mr. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Ms. Pritam Chandak, Dr. Rajashree Joshi and Mr. Sanjay Patil – BAIF’s Agrobiodiversity Lead, Thematic and other enthusiastic teams from BAIF Head Office and mango lovers from across the city.
The festival with its staggering display of diverse varieties of mangoes and explained with painstaking details and pride by dedicated cultivators, was a step towards educating, conserving and ensuring sustainable use of Maharashtra’s mango cultural heritage.
