Tamenglong comes alive with Orange Fest
Source: The Sangai Express / Azonnah Zaspar

Tamenglong, December 08 2008: The 5th State Level Orange Festival was celebrated here today at Mini Stadium Tamenglong amid fanfare.

Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii and Vice Chairperson of Hill Area Committee (HAC) P Khangthuanang were the chief guest and president of the inaugural function of the festival which was also attended by MLA of 52-Tamei A/C N Awangbou and Commandant of 11 Assam Rifles Col Pradeep Shankar Choukar as guests of honour respectively.

Participants for the Miss Orange strut their stuff while noted singer Alphina gets ready to taste the delicious orange of Tml

The main objective of organising the festival is to promote cultivation of oranges in the State.

In this year's festival a total of 132 Orange growers participated in the Best Orange competition.

In the competition Ringsinlung of Wairangba Village, PR Abuan of Tamenglong W/No IV, Gaidailong and R Kamlung of L Pabram have been selected as first, second and third best Orange growers and awarded a cash reward of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively as prizes.

A cash incentive of Rs 1000 each was also given to all the Orange growers who participated in the festival.

As many as 3 trucks and 2 jeeps of Oranges have been brought from different part of the district to display in the festival today.

In his presidential speech, P Khangthuanang recalled the last edition of the Orange festival and regretted over the inability of the Orange growers to take full advantage of Mini Mission scheme.

The Horticulture Department has taken up steps to provide manures, pesticides and the likes to the Orange growers, he said, adding that Tamenglong Oranges are prized for their pulp and sweetness.

Taking serious note of the reported withering and dying of Orange trees in the district, he appealed to the growers to analyse the cause of death in collaboration with the Horticulture Department.

The president also appealed to the officials of the Department concerned to mainly concentrate on area of extension and rejuvenation of Orange farms since Orange is presently the most suitable and bankable income generating crop of the district.

In the evening, the festival came alive to the sound of music and dances and the Orange Queen contest.


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