Fruit show @ Coonoor today
Arrangements being made for the fruit show at Coonoor on Saturday.The Flower Show at the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam is over, but `show time' continues in the Nilgiris, with the focus shifting to the Sim's Park in Coonoor. The Annual Fruit Show conventionally considered the final tourism-related event of the season would be organised at the Sim's Park by the Nilgiris Flower and Fruit Show Committee on Sunday.The Nilgiris Collector Santosh K.Misra and the Department of Horticulture have made elaborate arrangements.Pointing out that it will be the 49th Fruit Show, the Sim's Park Manager A.Ramakrishnan told The Hindu at Coonoor on Saturday that no efforts have been spared to make the event a fascinating one. Since Friday, the venue was illuminated.Stating that the main attraction would be a 16-feet revolving fruit tree near the threshold, he said that the objective of conducting the show was to encourage farmers to cultivate fruits and enable tourists to see a wide variety of fruits at a single place.This year about 60,000 persons are expected to witness the show.
The show would be divided into sections like temperate and sub-tropical fruits, tropical fruits, hill vegetables, cut flowers, roses, plants grown in pots, fruit products, spices and condiments, department stalls and private stalls.A stall of the Horticulture Department would display the entire horticultural wealth of the State.The Mushroom Growers Association will showcase various items that could be made with mushrooms.Mr.Ramakrishnan added that on the occasion prizes would be distributed to outstanding fruit gardens.Ten rolling cups, 50 first prizes, 10 second prizes and cash prizes worth Rs. 25,000 are up for grabs.
The Chairman, Coonoor Municipal Council, M.Ramasamy said that the civic administration would join hands with the organisers to ensure that the show went off without a hitch.Pointing out that a long-standing demand of the citizens of Coonoor was that the show should be conducted for two days, he hoped that at least the golden jubilee of the event in 2008 would be commemorated in a fitting manner.Urging the authorities to commence preparations for next year's show immediately, he said that instead of making it the last event of the season, it should be organised before the flower show in Udhagamandalam.Officials of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation said that special buses would ply from various parts of the district and neighbouring districts to Coonoor.
