SINGAPORE – Performers at a cultural festival in Singapore this weekend went home with an unusual reward – boxes of mangoes – as India stepped up its efforts to promote mango exports through community campaigns.
Mangoes from different states were featured in a program of songs, dance and music during the Threads of Indian Heritage festival at Yishun Public Housing Estate in northeastern Singapore.
This is the second such mango promotion festival organized by the Indian High Commission in Singapore this month. The first event was held from May 1 to 3 at another public housing estate on the East Coast, where more than 6,000 visitors tasted 10 varieties of Indian mangoes.
“We have been working hard to introduce various globally renowned Indian mangoes to our friends in Singapore,” Indian High Commissioner Shilpak Amber said on Sunday.
He said the two rounds of the mango promotion festival held this year had been “warmly received”. “We plan to hold more events like this this mango season. We are not just showcasing Indian mangoes, but giving our Singaporean friends a glimpse of incredible India, hoping to bring them closer to India.
Tanuja Mohindru, a housewife who has lived in Singapore for over a decade and is a regular volunteer at such community festivals, told PTI that displaying mango boxes to performers at recent cultural events “spurred greater buying interest beyond the Indian diaspora”.
“I have performed at dozens of events, but this is the first time I have received a box of mangoes as congratulations, my favorite fruit,” said local music star Tanesh, who collaborated with a group of musicians at the weekend festival.
Event organizer Sithara Doriasamy said the event featured about 60 performers and attracted more than 650 Noi Shun residents.
The event was attended by a number of high-profile guests, including Singaporean Member of Parliament Lee Hui Ying.
India, the world’s largest mango producer, has been stepping up efforts to promote mango exports in key overseas markets such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom, with activities focusing on premium varieties such as Alfonso and Kesar. Promotional activities often include mango festivals and buyer-seller promotion programs.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
