KARWAR: The delicious Ishad mango from Uttara Kannada has earned its much-awaited geological indicator (GI) tag and it is now being looked at as the beginning of its journey for international recognition like Alphonso mangoes.
Ishad mango, which is grown predominantly around Ankola, is tasty and contains a lot of pulp. “The fruit was once canned and exported. We hope to revive its glory,” said Satish Kumar, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture.
“The application for GI tag was made through Ankola-based Matha Totagars Farmers Producer Company (MTFPC) Ltd way back in March 2022. We had submitted the required documents to the Chennai-based Directorate, Geo Indicator species. They sought more documents and authenticity pertaining to heritage. Finally the status has been accorded,” he said.
Madhav Indra Gouda, Director, MTFPC, said that the mango variety has been cultivated for the last 400 years. After this tag, the MTFPC, which is an organisation of 300 farmers, has decided to propagate seedlings and encourage cultivation of this special mango. “We have already ensured two products, pulp and squash, are ready for consumers,” he said.