Grand display of Malda mangoes takes centre stage at Horti Food Festival 2025

Malda: The much-anticipated Horti Food Festival 2025 kicked off on Thursday at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata showcasing a diverse range of horticultural and food products from across the country. Among the key participants, the Malda Mango Merchants’ Association, in collaboration with the Malda district Horticulture department and district administration, took the centre stage with a grand display of their famous Malda mangoes and an array of mango-based and other agro-processed products.

Malda, known for its rich mango heritage, proudly presented three Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged mango varieties along with a host of value-added mango products such as mango lassi, mango kulfi, mango sandesh and mango rosogolla. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from leading entrepreneurs and growers from Malda.

Additionally, the festival provided a platform to highlight mushroom-based products, medicinal plant extracts and traditional spices from the region. Visitors were delighted to explore an extensive collection of items, including aam papad, mango squash, litchi rosogolla, amchur powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, mango jam, honey, red chilli powder and dry mushroom. Special focus was also given to herbal products such as Ayapan herb, stevia dry leaf, Hibiscus powder and chia seeds, known for their health benefits.

A key attraction at the Malda stall was the innovative use of tofu in various delicacies, such as tofu pakora, mango tofu gulab jamun and chocolate sandesh, prepared by Chotan Das, a food entrepreneur from English Bazar. His creations drew significant interest from food enthusiasts and industry experts alike.

Speaking at the event, Samanta Layek, Deputy Director of district Horticulture department, Malda, expressed his pride in the team’s achievements, emphasizing the importance of promoting Malda’s agricultural wealth on national and international platforms. “We are grateful for the support from the Directorate and the district administration in making this event a success. Our goal is to expand the market for Malda’s unique products and encourage entrepreneurship in agro-processing,” he said.

As the festival continues until February 22, visitors are encouraged to experience the exquisite flavours of Malda’s mangoes and other indigenous products. The overwhelming response on the opening day reaffirms Malda’s reputation as a key player in India’s horticulture and agro-food industry.