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Three-day UP mango fest enthrals fruit lovers, others
The event concludes with a grand award ceremony, celebrating mango growers, processors and innovators
The three-day Uttar Pradesh Mango Festival-2025 concluded at Awadh Shilpgram in the state capital on Sunday with a grand award ceremony, celebrating mango growers, processors and innovators. A total of 122 awards were given in 46 categories of seven varieties of mangoes and 29 more awards under 11 processed product categories.
Mohammad Abdul Saleem of Malihabad was declared the overall best performer for his ‘Ambika’ variety display, winning the maximum 21 awards. He was followed by Iqbal Ahmad (15 awards) and Lucknow’s SC Shukla (11 awards). “The first prize for the highest number of exhibits (121 varieties) went to SC Shukla, followed by Padma Shri Haji Kalimullah Khan (72 varieties) and Awadh Mango Growers’ Committee (63 varieties),” read a government press note.
The festival also hosted a mango eating contest for children aged 5–12. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the festival on July 4. Deputy CMs Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, minister for horticulture, agricultural exports, marketing and foreign trade Dinesh Pratap Singh and others attended the festival.
Famous Hindi poet Dr Kumar Vishwas and folk singer Pawan Singh added to the festive appeal as they entertained the audience.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony, state horticulture minister Dinesh Pratap Singh encouraged farmers to adopt modern techniques like fruit bagging, organic farming and export-focused production. He also announced significant infrastructure developments aimed at bolstering Uttar Pradesh’s agro-export capacity and scientific research. Singh said an integrated testing and treatment facility is being developed near Jewar airport to support export-quality horticultural produce.
This facility will help ensure that mangoes and other perishables meet international safety and phytosanitary standards before shipment. Additionally, plans are underway to establish South Asia’s first branch of the International Potato Centre in Agra, which will serve as a research and innovation hub focused on potato crop improvement, value chain development and climate-resilient farming.
Excise minister Nitin Agrawal said the state government has introduced a fruit wine policy, with a mango wine plant already functional in Malihabad and more planned for Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly.
From mango ice cream and jelly to Aam Halwa, Aam Rasgulla and Aam Panna, the festival highlighted the scope of value addition and processing. On the last day of the festival, a technical seminar was held on food processing and employment generation.
From Dussehri, Langda, Chausa and Lucknow Safeda to exotic varieties like Tommy Atkins, Sensation, Arunika and the tiny Angoor Dana (15 gm) to the massive Hathijhool (5 kg), the diversity of mangoes on display left visitors amazed.
The event was jointly organised by the horticulture and food processing department, Mandi Parishad, tourism & culture department, LDA, NHRDF, and district administration.
