The Hindu : Front Page : Grape mela from today in Bangalore

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Wednesday, Feb 04, 2009
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Grape mela from today in Bangalore

Staff Reporter

— FILE Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Grape displayed at the HOPCOMS grape mela in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: Some of the best varieties of grape grown in the State will on sale at the “grape mela” starting here on Wednesday.

Organised by the Horticultural Producers Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS), the mela will bring good quality grapes at discounted prices to consumers. The mela is being held at the HOPCOMS’ cold storage at Hudson Circle as well as in all its 318 outlets across the city.

The society, which is celebrating its golden jubilee, is expecting to sell over 750 tonnes of grape. Apart from the fresh grape, dry grape will be sold. Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, HOPCOMS president B. Mune Gowda said that the mela would not only help farmers to get good prices but also help consumers get quality fruit. “We will go to (vineyards) in Bijapur, Bagalkot and other districts and source fruit directly from the growers,” he added.

Some of the grape varieties cultivated in Karnataka are Thomson Seedless, Sonaka, Sharad, Flame Seedless, Manik Chaman, Red Globe and Bangalore Blue. Grape is grown on nearly 12,000 hectares of land and the annual production in the State is about two lakh tonnes. In last year’s mela, HOPCOMS sold 112.42 tonnes of grape worth Rs. 41.78 lakh and the year before that, 49.19 tonnes worth Rs. 15.67 lakh.

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