Governor Jamir visits Konkan Fruit Fest 2006 and appreciates it. Also seen are the Governor's wife Alemla Jamir and Officer on Special Duty to the Governor Sebastian Zumvu.

Panaji May 7, 2006: India is a land of varied seasons where different varieties of fruits are available throughout the year and the diverse but distinct tastes of the fruits reflect India, our Motherland, said Goa Governor SC Jamir, while participating in the 4th Annual Konkan Fruit Festival here this afternoon,

Jamir said that India is a diverse land but a land of unity in diversity. "Our motherland is known for her ability to bind the people together irrespective of region or religion," he said.

"Let this land of fruits and flowers with sweet taste and distinct aroma bind us together and make us live in peace and harmony."

Last year, many persons were disappointed that they could not taste, or even get a whiff of, the Kokum wine prepared under the guidance of a researcher at Goa University. Most people complained.... but some decided to change the situation.

Dr. John Rodrigues of Chichinim, who was formerly doing product development for Hoechst [prounced as Hext] medicines now has four variants of Kokum wine in both sec (dry) and demi-sec (semi-dry) types. You can smell it, taste it and buy it to drink at home.

Carlos Figueiredo of Aldona also has made kokum fruit wine for home consumption.He bagged the third prize in the competition. May their tribe increase.

At the Konkan Fruit Fest 2006, there was a fruit fancy dress competition at 5.30 P.M. followed by a magic show by Reggie and rocking music by Newton & Ness.

The public public response to the event has been overwhelming. there is a constant flow of persons, and they are asking questions. There is a trnsfer of technology and knowledge in a festival atmosphere.

People can relish the fresh fruit ice-creams, juices, wines, snacks and savouries at the venue. It is cool by the river side after sunset when the music mingles with the cool breeze and the aroma of a thousand fruits. Former Miss World and Bollywood actress, Yukta Mukhey, even made a mention of the Konkan Fruit Fest at the "Bollywood Masti" featuring Shaan last night at the Panaji Gymkhana Grounds.

This PDF file (attached below) has a list of plants found on the sea shore and sand dunes in Goa. The pages are part of the Botanical Society of Goa book on coastal sand dunes of Goa. Submitted by Miguel Braganza.

The entries for the fresh fruit competition at the 4th annual Konkan Fruit Fest in Panaji were judged by an expert panel consisting of Sanjeev Kadkade (Head of Dept, Institute of Hotel Management, Porvorim), Ana Dias e Camara and Olavio Fernandes, both members of BSG and officers of Goa Directorate of Agriculture.

All three judges have long experience in judging fruit quality through organo-leptic tests. The test of the pudding is in the eating! One random fruit was picked up by the judges and tasted to arrive at the final conclusion among the fruits that had good appearance or visual characteristics.

[The Hindu, Apr 30, 2006. By Kalyani Candade.] THE silence of the morning was shattered by a burst of cackling laughter across the water.

Our guide stopped rowing, and pointed to the shadowy green of the mangroves. Squinting against the sun, we could barely make out the leaves. Then, again, that strange cackle - and a flash of wings, blue and orange... It was my first sighting of stork-billed kingfisher! A rich variety

We were in a dugout boat, paddling along one of the richest stretches of mangroves in Goa, in the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Chorao Island. I had heard that the place was home to five or six varieties of kingfishers - including the stork-billed, the black-capped, the three-toed, and the white or collared kingfisher.

[By Miguel Braganza] Goa has been known as 'Aparant, a region without boundaries. The golden sunsets, the golden ripe mangoes, cashews and jackfruits and, perhaps, the gold bedecked women attending the weddings during the long summer season, moved some poet to call Goa a golden land or Sunaparant. Like El Dorado, Goa draws people to itself. More than that, it draws its sons and daughter back to their native soil.

One such son-of-the-soil to return to Goa is Pandurang G. Kakodkar or, simply, PGK. A former Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) and a current member of the Board of many prestigious companies like MCX and Sesa Goa, PGK has returned to his native land with a one point agenda: to draw funds for planting and nurturing a million trees in Goa.

The exhibition at the 4th annual Konkan Fruit Festin Panaji was inaugurated by Mr. Tony Rodrigues, Mayor of Panaji at 10.30 A.M. on Friday May 05, 2006, in the presence of Sanjit Rodrigues, Dr. H.Y.Karapurkar, Mr.P.G.Kakodkar, Dr.Ajit Shirodkar and other dignitaries at a simple function. The Mayor evinced keen interest in the various exhibits. The
Corporation of the City of Panaji is a festival partner in the Konkan Fruit Fest since its inception in 2003.

The ICAR-Goa, The Regional Fruit Research Station of KKV at Vengurla, the University of Agricultural Sciences-Dharwad,
the Directorate of Agriculture and the Department of Science, Technology & Environment besides Western Ghats Kokum Foundation, Ravi Mangal Agro Pro Combine, Eco-Green, Self-Help Groups, Rishta, Arolkar Fruit Farm and fruit growers, processors and others have been associated with the event to promote new technologies, techniques and interaction to grow faster through trade.