Over 3k specimens of 800 species displayed, Mohammed Iqbal

Ahmed of Malihabad became best exhibitor

Mangoes getting global market in Yogi govt, farmers getting

new tech: Horticulture Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh

Lucknow, 05 July (HS): The three-day Uttar Pradesh

Mango Festival-2026, held under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi

Adityanath at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, concluded on

Sunday. On the closing day, Chief Guest Dinesh Pratap Singh, Minister of State

(Independent Charge) for Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural

Foreign Trade and Agricultural Exports, honoured and rewarded more than 180

winners.

On the closing day, the Horticulture Minister presented a

total of 147 prizes in first, second and third rank to 51 winners in 7

categories and 56 classes of competitions for different varieties of mango. A

total of 33 prizes in first, second and third categories were given to 19

winners in 11 categories of the mango-based preserved products competition, and

a total of 3 prizes in first, second and third categories were given to 3

winners of the mango dish competition.

The award for the best mango exhibit was given to Mohammad

Iqbal Ahmed, Prof. Messrs Avadh Nursery, Malihabad, Lucknow for the display of

Chaunsa variety. Among the maximum award winners, 20 awards went to Mohammad

Iqbal Ahmed, 17 awards went to Mohammad Abdul Salim, Zaid Nursery, Malihabad

and 14 awards went to Suresh Chandra Shukla, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Suresh

Chandra Shukla was awarded first prize for displaying maximum 190 varieties in

the exhibition, Upendra Singh, Avadh Mango Producer Cooperative Union, Mal,

Lucknow was awarded second prize for displaying 92 varieties and Surya Mani

Yadav, Jaunpur was awarded third prize for displaying 24 varieties.

In the mango eating competition for children aged 8 to 12

years, Ruchir Shukla, son of Colonel Rishibhi Shukla, Lucknow got the first

prize, Arikta Singh, daughter of Dr. Dhirendra Singh, Lucknow got the second

prize and Deepanshu Yadav, son of Ramesh Kumar Yadav, Basti got the third

prize.

Nearly 800 mango varieties were displayed at the festival.

The state's well-known mango varieties, including Dussehri, Langra, Chaunsa,

Gaurjeet, Lucknow Safeda, Ratol, and Amrapali, as well as colorful varieties

like Awadh Abhaya, Awadh Samriddhi, Sundarja, Vanraj, Tommy Atkins, Sensation, Arunika,

and Ambika, also attracted significant attention. 1,390 participants displayed

2,667 mango varieties, while 111 participants displayed 365 mango preserves. A

total of 3,032 samples were displayed by 1,501 participants, representing a 6

percent increase over last year. Stalls selling lotus plants, dragonfruit, and

date palms grown in high-tech nurseries, mango ice cream, mango jalebi, mango

panna, mango halwa, and mango rasgulla were also highlights.

On the final day of the Mango Festival 2026, a technical

session was held for farmers, entrepreneurs, women self-help groups, and

students on the importance of food processing and its contribution to

employment generation. The session included detailed discussions on the

facilities provided under the Prime Minister's Micro Food Industries

Upgradation Scheme and the Uttar Pradesh Food Processing Industries

Policy-2023, dehydration and traditional mango drying, fermentation, innovation

for entrepreneurship, food safety, value addition, marketing of processed

products, honey processing, and CIC's contribution to self-employment. Farmers

were informed that under the PMFME scheme, a 35 percent subsidy, up to a

maximum of Rs. 1 lakh, is being provided for the establishment of small and

micro industries, and under the Uttar Pradesh Food Processing Industries

Policy-2023, a 35 percent subsidy, up to a maximum of Rs. 5 crore, is being

provided for the establishment of food processing industries.

Horticulture Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said that under

the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state's Horticulture

Department is continuously innovating to increase farmers' income and give

Uttar Pradesh's mangoes global recognition. He said that the Uttar Pradesh

government has realized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve to double

farmers' income through innovation, modern technology, export promotion, and

value addition. Currently, Uttar Pradesh's mangoes are being exported to more

than 30 countries. The development of Jewar International Airport will reduce export

costs and allow mangoes to reach world markets directly via cargo planes.

The Mango Festival 2026 was organized through the

coordinated efforts of the Horticulture Department, Food Processing Department,

Mandi Parishad, Tourism and Culture Department, Lucknow Development Authority,

NHRDF, Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Rehmankheda, and the

district administration. The festival saw participation from mango-producing

farmers, committees, self-help groups, pack houses, food processors, exporters,

traders, nursery owners, financial aid providers, infrastructure and logistics

providers, machinery and equipment suppliers, researchers, and scientists.

CISH, Rehmankheda, Lucknow; Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and

Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya; Horticulture Department's Horticulture

Experiment and Training Centers in Saharanpur, Basti, Jhansi (Barua Sagar), and

Lucknow (Malihabad), and progressive horticulturists showcased varieties grown

in their respective institutions/gardens. Horticulture departments and farmers

from Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh also participated.

On the closing occasion, Director of Horticulture Bhanu

Prakash Ram thanked all the dignitaries and gardeners. MLAs Prabhat Verma and

Pooja Pal, MLC Pawan Singh Chauhan, Additional Chief Secretary for Horticulture

and Food Processing B.L. Meena, Special Secretary Raj Kamal Yadav, Finance

Controller Sanjay Kumar Singh, Joint Director Dr. Sarvesh Kumar, Joint Director

Dr. Rajiv Kumar Verma, and other senior officials were present.

It is noteworthy that the Uttar Pradesh Mango Festival 2026

was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on July 3, 2026. Deputy Chief

Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, and

Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh were also present as

guests at the festival.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi