Mumbai, Apr 12 : A seven-day mango festival in Mumbai is attracting hordes of visitors.

"This is an opportunity for mango growers to sell their produce directly. We get the right products at the right price, since no middle men are involved," said Prashant, a visitor.

The fair is also providing a platform for orchard owners to reach out to prospective buyers.

"Even when prices rise, one will not stop eating. Similarly, despite their high prices, Konkan mangoes are sold all over the country and also exported abroad. The festival is very important to increase the popularity of the fruit," said Manohar Joshi, former speaker of the Lok Sabha, who inaugurated the festival on Friday.

About 1,000 varieties of mangoes are grown in the country, in an area of 2.5 million hectares.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the major mango-growing states in the country.

India is the world's biggest producer of this tropical fruit contributing 59 per cent of total production, but its share in the world mango market is less than 15 per cent.

India exports about 30,000 tonnes of mangoes every year to nearly 40 countries including Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Now, the Untied States. Mangoes account for around 39 per cent of the total fruit exports from India. (ANI)