the mango season approaches its peak, the 46th national mango and summer fruits festival will kick off on May 30 (Monday) and continue till June 4 in Mirpurkhas, the largest mango-producing district of Sindh. For the first time the annual event will be organised at an international level and the three-day event has been extended to six days. Different cultural, musical, sports and entertainment events will be a part of the festival, while dozens of foreigners including agriculturists, farmers and mango importers have been invited through the Pakistani embassies and consulate generals throughout the world.
Apart from mangoes, the festival will also display a large variety of other seasonal fruits including bananas, apples, dates, olives, oranges, grapefruits, watermelons and several different varieties of melons.
Traditionally arranged by the district government in collaboration with other organisations, the mango festival held every year intends encouraging fruit cultivators and introducing new varieties of mangoes to the market.
On the first day, agricultural and industrial exhibitions will be held at the Gama Stadium while a Meena Bazaar for ladies and a family market will be organised at the Police Ground. On May 31, a horse and cattle show will be held at the Khipro Stop Ground whilst on June 1, different sports activities like bull races, shooting ball and traditional wrestling tournaments will be held. A firework display and special sports such as Maleh and Malakhra, cycle race and boxing will be held on June 2, while a seminar on mangoes and a cricket match will be organised on June 3. On the final day of the festival, certificates will be distributed among the successful mango cultivators, who will display high-quality varieties of mangoes and other fruits in different competitions.
The annual mango festival is being held for the past 46 years in order to promote mango production. This unique festival is attended by a large number of people and agriculturalist across the country and many agro-based production companies are also taking part in the traditional event. Mirpurkhas is called the city of mangoes as mangoes orchards occupy thousands of acres of agricultural land and a large number of mango varieties have originated from this place.
