IMPHAL, Dec 12 � Manipur�s much-awaited Orange festival was formally opened with a seminar followed by advance Christmas celebration at Tamenglong, 150 km west of here yesterday.
The exhibition of oranges and other handicraft products marked the second day of the festival today.
On the first day, Deputy Commissioner K Panmei inaugurated a day-long seminar on �Scientific Plantation and Management of Orange Orchard�. Around 400 orange cultivators of the district attended the seminar.
The main objective of the 7th Orange festival is to promote tourism and provide an opportunity to orange farmers to display their produce before potential buyers.
The production of oranges is expected to decline drastically due to poor management of the orchards in the district which is the largest orange producer in the State.
Tamenglong district alone produces 17,311 metric tonnes of oranges against the State�s total production of 31,968 metric tonnes in 2008-09, according to State Horticulture department reports. Around 15,000 metric tonnes of oranges were produced last year.
District Horticulture officials at Tamenglong are expecting around 12,000 metric tonnes of the fruit during the festival. State Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and his Cabinet colleagues are expected to visit the festival tomorrow.
Orange Queen 2010 contest will be organised this evening. The organising committee will be presenting a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh to the Orange Queen while Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 will be given to the first and second runner ups. The best three orange growers will also be awarded.
