PANAJI: In an effort to give a boost over Goa’s efforts in providing the status of the geographical indication of the Mango (GI), the Country Council and Technology Country has taken the initiative to form a mango farmer association.
A meeting was held at the Indian Board of Agriculture Research and the Coastal Institute of Agricultural Research (ICAR-CCARI), Old Goa, on Tuesday by the Fruit Scientists of the Institute along with prominent agricultural and mango farmers to form associations.
The GI application needs to be submitted with farmers and the institute.
There were around 45 Mango Madurad farmers who attended the meeting on Tuesday.
“We will provide all the technical support to the farmers.
Our target is to see that the area under cultivation for Mango Madurad develops so that the commercial gardens appear in the state.
Simultaneously, efforts are also made to get the GI tag for varieties,” the main scientist, Horticulture, ICAR-CCARI, said R Desai.
Efforts will also be made to utilize important commercial varieties such as Hilario, Mussahrat and Xavier, among others, and hopefully apply for GI status for them too.
“Farmers will be able to get premium prices for their mango so the production level increases.
It will also produce value-added products, which can be exhibited as a Goan product that comes from the local Mango variety.
We have also imagined a strategy to market newly processed pulps.
Other countries, and abroad, “Desai said.
The training session will be made for farmers for capacity building and more farmers and employers will many times in the newly formed associations to ensure that efforts to provide the status of GI Mango Goa are reached.
“Not only farmers, but vendors and entrepreneurs can also be part of the association.
To apply for the GI application, a group of farmers who have fostered plants for a long time must move forward,” Desai said.