Tribals of Gajapati pin hopes on mango cultivation

It may be noted that the district is under the national horticulture mission. Under it mango cultivation is being promoted in remote tribal areas where traditional cultivation is hard and less profitable.

According to the Gajapati district horticulture department, mango orchards have come up on 2,600 hectares of land in the district. There are hopes that the conducive climate and environment of the district may lead to cultivation of some exotic varieties of mangoes in the district in future.

At present 36 breeds of mangoes are being cultivated in Gajapati district.

To promote mango cultivation a special exhibition on mangoes produced in the district was held at Paralakhemundi recently which was attended by Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, Satyabrata Sahu.

The other fruits being cultivated in Gajapati district by tribals under the national horticulture mission are pineapple, cashew, lemon, orange, jack fruit and banana.

The fruit plantations are mostly taken up on unused land on hills, which helps in increase in vegetation cover in the area and provides the much-needed income source to remote village near it.

Some areas of the district have also started specialising in some fruit. Banana production is on the rise in Kasinagar block of the district while tribals of Ramgiri area are more interested in growing pineapple, jack fruit, cashew and orange.

The tribals have also started substituting their traditional cultivation of low yield with horticulture to increase their economic status.

With it the need for a food processing plant to produce value-added products has increased.