The Karnataka Mango Development and Marketing Corporation will develop a dedicated platform to facilitate the sale of Alphonso mangoes in the domestic market.

Speaking after inaugurating a three-day training programme on ‘Innovative Technologies in the Production of Premium-Quality Mangoes’ at Kumbhapur near Dharwad on Friday, managing director of the corporation T.R. Vedamurthy said that they were in the process of developing a software platform to provide an organised marketplace for mango growers.

The initiative, he said, was aimed at ensuring better prices for growers, premium-quality fruits for consumers and improved returns for the corporation.

Referring to export opportunities, Mr. Vedamurthy said the corporation had undertaken a study tour of markets in Europe and the United Kingdom. He said Alphonso mangoes grown in Dharwad enjoy considerable demand in overseas markets, particularly among the large South Asian diaspora in and around London.

He said the Karnataka Mango Development and Marketing Corporation, being a registered company, should function on professional lines. He also stressed the need for the Integrated Pack House established in Dharwad for mango exports to obtain certification from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Mr. Vedamurthy said Grade A mangoes should be exported, Grade B fruits marketed in the domestic market, and Grade C fruits processed into pulp to enhance value addition and improve returns to growers. The corporation would extend all necessary support to mango cultivators in this regard, he added.

Earlier, Mr. Vedamurthy inspected the ongoing works at the Integrated Pack House. Representatives of the Mango Growers’ Association submitted a memorandum to him, seeking the fulfilment of various demands.