Bhagalpur: The two-day mango festival, ‘Rashtriya Aam Samagam’, organised by Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), concluded on Sunday. The primary objective of the event was to celebrate the nation’s agricultural heritage and boost the rural economy.Held on the theme ‘Swad Aur Sanskriti Ka Sangam’ (a blend of taste and culture), the event showcased diverse domestic and foreign varieties of mangoes. It provided a platform to connect farmers directly with buyers and exporters while promoting mango-based food processing, horticulture practices and tourism in the region.Around 1,000 mango varieties and over 2,000 exhibits from states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Karnataka and Uttarakhand were on display.Exhibits on value-added mango products, modern horticulture techniques, processing methods, agricultural startups, scientific innovation and entrepreneurship were among the major attractions.Visitors were drawn to rare mango varieties, including ‘Gadadhar’ (weighing 2.5kg). Other varieties that drew attention included Noorjahan, Ice Cream Mango, Miyazaki Mango, Apple Mango, Kusum Mango, Cashew Mango and Red Innovari.Hundreds of indigenous varieties such as Kesar, Swarnarekha, Fazli, Dudhiya Maldah, Ambika, Arunima, Vanraj, Kishan Bhog, Himsagar, Neelam, Lalima, Gulabkhaas and the GI-tagged Jardalu also received attention.Four mango producers were honoured — Rajendra Kumar Yadav (Supaul, Bihar), Anita Dasi (Jharkhand), Biman Mandal (West Bengal) and Satyanarayan Chunduru (Odisha). The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sabour, was also honoured for its performance.Events like the ‘Mango Eating Contest’ drew large crowds, with winners receiving prizes.Talking to this newspaper, BAU vice-chancellor D R Singh said the Bhagalpur region has been a landmark for mango research and development, adding that the world’s first hybrid mango variety was developed at Bihar Agricultural College, Sabour, in 1951.He added that the Jardalu variety cultivated in the region received a GI tag in 2018 and said Bihar has risen from seventh to third position in mango production. He expressed confidence that the state would emerge as a major centre for GI products.State rural development minister Shrawan Kumar lauded BAU’s academic and research work and said Bihar would soon make a global mark in agricultural education and in promoting farm products. JD(U) MP Ajay Mandal said Bhagalpur, known as the Silk City, is now gaining recognition as the Jardalu Mango City due to BAU’s efforts.
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