Lucknow: Among the 750 odd varieties, this one was the cynosure of all eyes. It was small in size and the skin was perfectly shining saffron and, yes, it was the ‘Yogi’ mango — a variety developed by mango grower Tariq Mustafa.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, inaugurated the sixth Mango festival and when his eyes feel on the mango variety named after him, he smiled and moved on.
Other varieties of mangoes included those na-med as ‘Husnara’, “Nazuk Badan’, ‘Anarkali’, ‘Sensa-tion’, ‘Gulab Jamun’ and ‘Aishwarya’.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that planting mango trees earned blessings for people and was also a tribute to ancestors. He said that mango cultivation would help in doubling the income of farmers. He said that Uttar Pradesh was a leader in mango production and the number of mango varieties, even though the area of mango cultivation was less compared to other states.
He also asked the officials of agriculture, horticulture and other concerned departments to make aware the people about the benefits of horticulture and vegetable farming. He directed officials to hold similar festivals in districts, especially in those where the mango production is large so that the farmers can showcase their produce.
