MARGAO
A vast array of fruits available along the Konkan coast “ right from South Gujarat to North Kerala “ besides local country made cashew and coconut feni, including the seasonal beverage Urak extracted from cashew apples, will be on display at the three-day Konkan Fruit Fest at the Opinion Poll Square Promenade here from April 20 to 22.
Having facilitated the Konkan Fruit fest in Panaji since 2003, the Botanical Society of Goa has this year partnered with “We For Fatorda” as the festival partner to host the festival at the Opinion Poll Square and the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
Addressing the media in the presence of Miguel Braganza and Lorna Fernandes, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai said the Agriculture Department and We for Fatorda will support the Konkan Fruit Fest in a big way this year to celebrate the fruit diversity of Goa and Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn. “Apart from the display of fruits from Goa and from the Konkan coast, a host of entertainment programmes are planned in the evenings on all the three days. A food court offering international cuisine will be an added feature of the fest this year, besides a host of competitions during the three days of the festivity,” he said.
Miguel Braganza said the ICAR, Central Coastal Agriculture Research Institute, Old Goa; the DBSKKV’s Regional Fruit Research Station, Vengurla-Maharhashtra, the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot-Karnataka; other institutions and non-governmental organizations will also be part of the festival as in the past 14 years.
“The festival is unique aimed at preserving our local fruit biodiversity. Over 18,000 people visit this festival and they marvel at the vast array of fruits, some not so popular, some almost forgotten, that are brought to the festival by farmers across the Konkan belt,” he said.
Saying that the festival aims at increasing awareness of the sheer multitude of delicious fruits available in the region, Miguel said, “The hope is that with his awareness, the demand for these fruits will increase and consequently farmers will be encouraged to grow more of these and provide society with a wider array of healthy, nutritionally diverse fruit. The Festival is the perfect place for all those people from remote corners of the region to showcase their fruit-based products such as jams, pickles and even wines.”
