Bhopal:June 18:Mangoes of rare ‘Noor Jahan’ variety were presented to Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at his residence here today by Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shri V.R. Khare and Director Horticulture Shri A.K. Singh were also present on the occasion.
Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave instructions to undertake all out efforts for preservation of this rare variety of mango. He said that, if needed, he would himself send a letter in this connection to Katthiwara royal family.
Only four trees of this rare variety are left at Katthiwara in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Out of these, one is big and three small trees. This variety is quite different in shape as well weight from the species found in India. A mango of ‘Noor Jahan’ variety is about the size of a medium size papaya and its weight ranges from one and half and two and half kilogrammes.
Hundreds of years ago, the Katthiwara royal family had grown this rare variety on its private land. The remaining four trees of this variety also stand on the private land belonging to the royal family’s descendant Shri Vikram Singh. This variety had secured special prize at National Mango Exhibition held at Indore in 1999.
Director Horticulture Shri A.K. Singh informed the Chief Minister that the royal family has given consent for preservation of this rare mango variety. Soon, cuttings of this variety would be planted at government parks as well as by willing farmers’ lands through bud stick grafting system.