Orange Festival With A Beauty Contest

By Staff

Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 14:54

'Orange for beauty, health and prosperity', was the theme of the 5th state level Orange festival organized in Tamenglong. This called an active participation from the Manipur orange growers.

The festival attracted 132 participants and the ones with the best quality oranges were awarded. The festival was organized by the the Horticulture Development Society of Tamenglong and jointly sponsored tourism department and NRGES, Tamenglong and TAMBAC.

The Orange festival was held 174 kilometers from Impal and promoted the tourism. It also offered the orange farmers an opportunity to display their produce before potential buyers.

R. Kamlung Panmei, an orange grower, said: "The festival encourages villagers to grow oranges. We hope that in the next 10-20 years, with God's blessings, we will supply oranges all over Manipur, India and even in the International market."

Mary Panmei, another orange grower, said: "Through Orange festival, our oranges are promoted and the world comes to know that there are oranges in Tamenglong."

Blessed with great climatic conditions that supports the horticulture crops, the growth in orange produce has given a boost to the Manipur economy. "We have organised this orange festival believing that it will help orange growers and also encourage them to grow more oranges." said David Panmei, President of the Horticulture Development Society, Tamenglong.

It were not just the oranges at the festival, but a beauty contest of 27 participants that made the festival all the more colorful. The beauty contest has been the integral part of the festival over the years.

Manipur has over 3,838 hectares of land under orange cultivation, with 50 percent of the state's annual orange production contributed by Tamenglong alone. That nears to about 10,000 to 11,000 metric tonnes. AGENCIES