KOPPAL: The villages of Kallu Tavaragera, Kamanur, Indaragi, Jabbalaguda, Bhudagumpa, Vadalugallu, Vanaballari, Hatti, Ginigera, Irakallagada, Hanumanbatti, Matagallu, Halahalli, Bhimanur, and Guldahalli, share one unique trait. Each house in these 15 villages of Koppal grows mangoes, making it the first district in North Karnataka being home to thousands of mango growers.
There are farmers in these villages who only grow the seasonal fruit, reaping huge profits. In 2010, there were very few mango growers here. However, when the Koppal district horticulture department started organising krishi melas, training farmers through workshops and special sessions, and engaging them in field training programmes, many switched to mango cultivation. When the department started helping them in marketing their mango harvests, bringing in handsome profits, thousands more began to grow mangoes.
Now, mangoes from the district are in demand in neighbouring states as well, while the Kesar variety is even exported to foreign countries. The Kesar mango is the top choice of every cultivator, as it fetches good fortunes. Interestingly, a grower in Yelburga taluk of Koppal district is cultivating the costliest variety of mango, Miyazaki, which traces its origins to Japan.
Some farmers from Tavaragera said, “If one were to travel through more than 15 villages around Tavaragera, one would find mango growers in all houses. People call them ‘maavu gramastharu’ (meaning ‘mango villagers’), since each one is a mango grower. Earlier, we all struggled to get good yield from our fields, but now the fruit has blessed us. We are getting good profits. Farmers from other districts visit our mango orchards and gather knowhow on growing vivid breeds.”
Krishna Ukkunda, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department in Koppal district, said, “We have provided many platforms to farmers, like sessions, seminars, and schemes, and helped implement them. We took experts along to several farms and helped farmers buy saplings and grow them. Our team also helped mango growers to market their produce. Hence, many interested farmers came to us, and now, over 15 villages in Koppal are full of mango growers. If any farmers visit us, we guide them. We are also happy that the ‘Koppal Kesar’ has emerged as an international brand.”