Latest news with #agriTourism
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Mango Festival 2025 kicks off Friday at Expo Khor Fakkan with extensive farmer participation showcasing over 150 local mango varieties
Sharjah, The fourth edition of the Mango Festival will kick off tomorrow, Friday, at Expo Khor Fakkan and will run until June 29. Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), in cooperation with the Municipal Council of Khor Fakkan and Khor Fakkan City Municipality, the festival features extensive participation from local farmers, agricultural companies, and productive families from across the UAE. Held under the theme "Mango: Our Fruit, Our Wealth', this year's edition aims to promote the Eastern Region as a distinguished agri-tourism destination. It seeks to support the local economy by empowering farmers and productive families and enhancing the quality and sustainability of domestic agricultural products. It also contributes to preserving the UAE's rich cultural heritage and advancing the goals of the National Food Security Strategy 2051. This year's festival will showcase more than 150 premium local mango varieties, highlighting the UAE's rich and diverse agricultural output. It will also feature a lineup of heritage-themed and cultural activities, along with a series of educational programmes aimed at improving the quality of local production and fostering knowledge exchange between farmers and agricultural specialists. The Mango Festival 2025 adds significant value to the Eastern Region's portfolio of heritage and agricultural events. It not only serves as a comprehensive platform to showcase the quality and diversity of local produce but also fosters partnerships among farmers, traders, and agribusinesses, thereby promoting the emirate's sustainable development goals and supporting agriculture as a vital economic sector. This year's edition features several specialised competitions with valuable prizes. Among the key highlights is the 'Mango Mazayna' Competition (the most beautiful mango) that is set to be held on the festival's first day. Entries must be locally sourced from the participant's own farm or home garden and consist of a single defect-free variety weighing no less than 4 kilograms. To ensure fairness, all winning entries will undergo on-site inspection by the judging panel. Day two will feature the 'Most Beautiful Mango Basket' competition, designed for families and focused on the aesthetics of hand-crafted presentation. Running across all festival days is the 'Best Farmer's Booth' contest, which relies on audience votes and requires a display of at least five different mango varieties. On the final day of the festival, UAE resident children aged 7 to 12 will have the opportunity to participate in the 'Best Agriculture-themed Video' competition, designed to encourage early engagement with farming practices. The festival plays a key role in promoting awareness among farmers about advanced and sustainable agricultural practices. It offers expert-led workshops and training sessions focused on transferring best practices that ensure high-quality production with tangible economic returns for local farmers. These efforts align with Sharjah's broader strategy to preserve its agricultural heritage and encourage greater investment in mango cultivation. The Mango Festival 2025 welcomes visitors daily from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM, offering a rich experience filled with interactive activities and live heritage performances presented by Emirati folk groups. It also offers daily prize draws and a wide array of family-friendly attractions. Dedicated zones for children include both educational and experiential activities, making the festival an all-inclusive destination for families seeking entertainment, learning, and cultural enrichment.
Arab News
22-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Cherry festival in northern Pakistan draws crowds amid growing exports to China
SKARDU, Gilgit-Baltistan: As Pakistan begins to export cherries to neighboring China, a colorful one-day festival in Skardu this week drew hundreds of visitors, highlighting the potential of agri-tourism and cherry farming in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, officials and growers said. Home to the Khunjerab Pass — the highest paved international border crossing in the world — GB is often described as Pakistan's gateway to China. The region's cold climate is ideal for growing high-quality fruits such as cherries, apricots and apples. 'This is the 5th National Cherry Festival, and we are organizing Agri-Mela as part of the festival,' Zakir Hussain, deputy director at the GB agriculture department, told Arab News on Friday. 'The aim of this festival is to introduce cherry as a cash crop.' He said the event, organized in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, aimed to raise awareness about harvesting, marketing and the economic importance of cherries. According to the GB agriculture department, the region produces 8,000 to 9,000 tons of cherries annually, with dried cherry marketing now also underway. 'Almost 3,000 tons of cherries had been exported to China in 2024,' Hussain said, adding that GB was the leading cherry-producing region in Pakistan. Local farmers say the festival boosts their income and visibility. 'We have been growing cherries for the last 12 to 13 years and we have 200 to 300 cherry trees in our orchard,' said Skinder Ali, a 40-year-old farmer. 'Whenever the festival is held in Gilgit-Baltistan, we participate. And due to this event, we get access to the market at the national level.' The festival also attracted tourists from other parts of the country. 'We especially came to Skardu to see the cherries, and we are from Islamabad,' Zohra Begum, a 52-year-old visitor, said. 'We have been visiting [the stalls] for the last hour... The taste of cherries is very good ... So far we have purchased 10 kilograms. Let's see how much we purchase later.' 'I am a traveler and biker from Lahore,' said Mohsin Abbas, another tourist. 'We were in Shigar last night when we came to know about the festival. So we came here... We have tasted the cherries and they are very delicious.' Ghulamullah Saqib, an agriculture expert and trainer, said the region's climate is well suited for cherries, which require 800 to 1,000 chilling hours to bear fruit. 'There are 14 varieties of cherry that are found in Gilgit-Baltistan,' he added.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Sharjah Chamber finalizes preparations for 4th Mango Festival 2025
Sharjah: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has announced that it is all set to launch the fourth edition of the Mango Festival 2025 at Expo Khor Fakkan from June 27 to 29, with all necessary preparations in place. Organized by SCCI in collaboration with the Municipal Council of Khor Fakkan and Khor Fakkan City Municipality, the festival features extensive participation from local farmers, agricultural companies, and productive families from across the UAE. Held under the theme "Mango: Our Fruit, Our Wealth', this year's festival aims to promote the Eastern Region as a distinguished agri-tourism destination. It seeks to support the local economy by empowering farmers and productive families and enhancing the quality and sustainability of domestic agricultural products. The festival also contributes to preserving the UAE's rich cultural heritage and advancing the goals of the National Food Security Strategy 2051. The 3-day extravaganza will include a display of more than 150 premium local mango varieties. It will also feature a series of specialized competitions with valuable prizes, in addition to cultural and heritage-themed activities. A range of educational programs will be held to improve local agricultural output and facilitate the exchange of expertise between farmers and industry professionals. In his remarks, Khalil Al Mansouri, Director of Government Relations at SCCI, said that the Mango Festival is a strategic addition to the Chamber's portfolio of heritage and agricultural events in the Eastern Region. It supports agriculture as a key economic pillar, reinforcing its contribution to food security and local economic growth. He emphasized that the festival not only offers a comprehensive platform to showcase the quality and diversity of local produce but also fosters partnerships between farmers, traders, and agribusinesses, thereby promoting the emirate's sustainable development goals. Among key highlights of this year's edition is the 'Mango Mazayna' Competition (a mango beauty contest) which is set to be held on the festival's first day. Participants must submit locally grown mangoes, sourced from their own farms or home gardens, along with proof of property ownership. Each entry must include only one mango variety, free of defects and infections, with a consistent and suitable size, packed in cardboard boxes weighing no less than 4 kg. All winning entries will undergo on-site inspection by the judging panel. On the second day, the festival will feature a competition for the most beautifully arranged mango basket 'Best Mango Basket" for families. Entries must be handmade, modestly decorated, and contain at least 4 kg of mangoes in a single basket. Only one basket per family is allowed. The final day of the festival will feature the 'Best Agriculture-themed Video' contest, designed for children aged 7 to 12. Each child must submit one video not exceeding one minute, along with a copy of the UAE ID. Only one entry per child is permitted. The Organizing Committee of the Mango Festival has set June 27 as the deadline for submissions. Entries must be sent via WhatsApp, accompanied by a copy of the child's ID, to the following number: 0566240434. Other highlights include the 'Best Farmer's Booth' competition which will run across all days of the festival. Displayed produce must be locally sourced and each booth must feature no fewer than five mango varieties. Participants must be present at their booth for the duration of the event. The evaluation will be based on a public voting survey. These competitions aim to promote excellence and innovation among farmers, enhance marketing techniques, and support a more engaging visitor experience, while promoting broader awareness of the agricultural sector's value. Open to the public daily from 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm, the festival will offer a rich program of interactive activities and live cultural performances. Emirati folk groups will present traditional shows that reflect the local cultural heritage. Daily raffles with a variety of prizes will be also held, further enhancing visitor engagement and creating a vibrant festival atmosphere. Additionally, the Mango festival 2025 will host a series of educational workshops held in collaboration with agricultural experts, offering simplified yet in-depth insights into mango tree care and modern techniques in irrigation, fertilization, pruning, and pest control. These sessions aim to raise awareness among visitors and farmers alike, encouraging the adoption of smart agriculture practices to improve both production efficiency and quality. The festival will also feature a dedicated family activity zone, where visitors of all ages can take part in educational and hands-on experiences tailored especially for children. For further information, please contact: Ali Elgendy Misbar Communications ali@ Ahmad Aldwairi Misbar Communications
