Indo-Israeli tie-up increases mango produce in Kolar

BENGALURU: Mango cultivators in Hogalagere village of Kolar have reason to cheer. The yield has doubled as more than 600 mango trees can be grown within one acre of land as against the previous limit of 60.
Lavanya, project manager at the Kolar centre of excellence for mango cultivation and horticulture, said this has been possible only due to the partnership between India and Israel. “The tie-up has helped us get better yields since 2016,” added Lavanya.Earlier, it was possible to grow only 60 mango trees in an acre but employing the root stocking technique, where grafting is done to increase production, has upped the number to 600. “This method reduces the lifespan of trees. Normally, a mango trees lives for 100 years but the technology decreases it to 25 years,” explained Lavanya.
The partnership began with a project called Mashav, initiated by the Israeli foreign ministry, which is aimed at achieving sustainable development and ensuring food security. Under the project, work is on in four main sectors — agriculture and rural development, socio-economic development, rural and urban development and education. It began in 2008 was later extended.
At present, the Kolar centre is growing Mallika, a mango variety which is being sold at Rs 80 per kg. “The yield has been comparatively good. We use drip irrigation to water the trees and don’t depend on rain,” said Lavanya.
The Indo-Israel agricultural cooperation has benefited both the countries, said the deputy chief of mission, Embassy of Israel, Dana Krush. “The new Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had visited Israel in August and wanted to send state farmers to the country to learn new technologies and implement them here,” said Krush.