APEDA Organizes 8-Day-Long Mango Festival in Bahrain

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched an eight-day Mango Festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 13 in collaboration with the Indian Embassy and Al Jazira Group. At the show, 34 varieties of mangoes from the eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha are on display at eight different Al Jazira group supermarkets in Bahrain.

Twenty-seven of these varieties were obtained from West Bengal, while two each from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. All mango varieties were obtained directly from farmers and two Farmer Producer Organizations. The mango exhibition will run until June 20, 2022.

West Bengal mango varieties include Bhavani, Daud Bhog, Amrapali, Golapkhas, Rogni, Dilshad, Chatterjee, Bimli, Ratan Kewra, Mallika, Ananras, Sahebpas and, Kishen Bhog, Lakshman Bhog, Madhu Latika, Rasagolla, Dwarika, Raja Bhog, Amrit Bhog, Arajanma, Nilanjan Jharkhand's Kamli and Biju are on display, while Bihar's Jardalu, a GI-tagged variety, and Langra are on display at the Bahrain Mango Festival. The show also features the Benganpalli, Himsagar, and Dusseri varieties from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

All 34 varieties of Indian mangoes were on display at Al Jazira stores in Bahrain, including Hamala, Mahooz, Zing, Juffair, Budaiya, Adilya, Seef, and Riffa. Aside from mangoes in general, the festival featured several mango preparations such as mango cake prepared by Al Jazira bakery, juices, various varieties of mango shakes, and so on.

The Bahrain mango show is part of APEDA's new initiatives to explore international markets for Indian mangoes under the banner of the 'Mango Festival 2022.' As a result of APEDA's commitment to providing a global platform for Indian mangoes, 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states were showcased in Bahrain for the first time.

Previously, most global shows featured mango varieties from the southern and western regions, such as Alphonso, Kesar, and Banganpalli.

The Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, Piyush Srivastava, launched the Mango Festival in the presence of Al Jazira Group Chairman, Abdul Hussein Khalil Dawani. In collaboration with APEDA, the Murshidabad district administration facilitated the transportation of mangoes to Bahrain.

Mango is known as the 'King of Fruits' in India and the Kalpavriksha (wish-granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most Indian states have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka produce the majority of the fruit. India's top export varieties include Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri, and Banganpalli. Mango exports are mostly in three varieties: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.