By Kavitha Mhatre
Hawaiian fruit grower and Executive Director of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, Ken Love said, “I have not seen as many varieties of fruits in any other place as seen in India. Fruits are being wasted without getting proper market and value. Hence, my aim is to guide farmers on the same.” Having been an avid fruit lover all my life and fascinated by agricultural practices and techniques that Indian farmers employ to produce a bounty of juicy and tasty fruits every year, I was obviously thrilled to hear that the ‘Fruit Specialist’ from Hawaii was in our city. They say, “With Love, Fruit and Family Come Together.” Ken Love was here to deliver a special lecture in Belavala Parisara Kendra, an organisation that is focused on documenting and spreading knowledge about ecological farming practices among all sections of society. Preservation, building a value addition and generating a better market for tropical fruits are some of the topics that the lecture covered. Over plates of hot buttery masala dosa and steaming cups of filter coffee, Star of Mysore had an informal conversation with the ‘Fruit King’ who believes that “Fruit is the key to the planet’s unlocking its potential restoring much of the world’s paradise.” Mind you, he is also a man with an agenda in the city and tells us that it is high time that farmers in Mysuru join hands to protect tropical fruits. We speak about one of our favourite subjects, yes, fruits ! And we also discuss farmers, crops, agricultural practices and the importance of adopting diversity in the aforementioned areas. Excerpts...
