Indian mangoes become prize in Singapore cultural festival

Performers at a cultural festival in Singapore this weekend went home with an unusual reward boxes of mangoes as India expanded efforts to promote the exports of the fruit through community events. Mangoes from different states were presented for songs, dances and musical programmes during the Threads of Indian Tradition festival, held in the Nee Soon public housing estate in north-east Singapore.

Performers at a cultural festival in Singapore this weekend went home with an unusual reward – boxes of mangoes – as India expanded efforts to promote the exports of the fruit through community events. Mangoes from different states were presented for songs, dances and musical programmes during the ''Threads of Indian Tradition'' festival, held in the Nee Soon public housing estate in north-east Singapore. This was the second such mango promotion festival organised this month by the High Commission of India in Singapore. The first one was held between May 1 and 3 at another public housing estate on the east coast, where over 6,000 visitors sampled 10 varieties of Indian mangoes. ''Our endeavour has been to introduce a diverse range of globally renowned Indian mangoes to our Singaporean friends,'' High Commissioner of India Shilpak Ambule said on Sunday. The two rounds of the mango promotion festival organised this year have been ''received with enthusiasm,'' he said. ''We plan to do more such events in this mango season. We are not just showcasing Indian mangoes, but giving a glimpse of Incredible India to our Singaporean friends, with the hope of bringing them even closer to India. Tanuja Mohindru, a homemaker who has been living in Singapore for more than a decade and is a regular volunteer at such community festivals, told PTI that the presentation of mango boxes to performers at the recent cultural event has ''sparked greater buying interest'' beyond the Indian diaspora. ''I have performed at dozens of events but it is the first time that I have been felicitated with a carton of mangoes, my favorite fruit,'' said local musical star Thanesh (goes by a single name), who collaborated with a band of musicians at the weekend festival. The event, which featured around 60 performers, drew more than 650 Nee Soon residents, its organiser Sithara Doriasamy said. It was attended by some high-profile guests, including Singapore MP Lee Hui Ying. India, the world's largest producer of mangoes, has been stepping up efforts to promote exports of the fruit in key overseas markets - the UAE, the US and the UK among others - with campaigns centred on premium varieties including Alphonso and Kesar. Promotion initiatives often include mango festivals and buyer-seller outreach programmes.