Bhagalpur: More than 125 quintals of the famed GI-tagged Jardalu mangoes from Bhagalpur are being dispatched to the country’s top dignitaries, including President of India, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman, CMs and other VVIPs.The exclusive mango variety recently gained further prominence after Prime Minister in his monthly programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat’, on June 1 praised the fruit’s distinctive aroma and sweetness, noting that its fragrance can be identified from a distance. He also cited Jardalu mangoes as an example of local products successfully reaching global markets and referred to the country’s growing mango economy.Freshly harvested Jardalu mangoes are being packed in plastic storage boxes at Madhuban Farm in Maheshi-Tilakpur village under Sultanganj block. The process is being supervised by agriculture department officials before the consignments are sent to the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada) facility at Sikandarpur in Bihta near Patna.At the Biada centre, the mangoes will undergo sorting, grading and packing into gift boxes weighing 5-6 kgs. The gift packs will then be sent to Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi for distribution among dignitaries on behalf of the Bihar govt.The initiative aims to showcase the state’s unique GI-tagged Jardalu mangoes, which have emerged as a symbol of both Bhagalpur and Bihar while helping expand their market reach across the country and abroad.Officials had earlier been directed to ensure that only the finest-quality fruits are selected for dispatch to the resident commissioner’s office at Bihar Bhawan. The gift packs will subsequently be distributed among dignitaries and other recipients in the national capital.Jardalu mangoes from the Bhagalpur region have been sent as gift packs to dignitaries since 2007. The variety received the prestigious GI tag in 2018 in recognition of its exceptional quality and unique characteristics.District and agriculture department officials are overseeing the selection of orchards, harvesting, packing and transportation of the mangoes for dispatch.District magistrate Nawal Kishor Choudhary said the GI-tagged Jardalu mangoes were being sent to Patna and would subsequently be distributed among dignitaries across the country as per state govt directives.“It is a matter of pride for Bhagalpur and Bihar that the Prime Minister mentioned the famous Jardalu mango in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme,” he said.
