Horticulturist comes up new mango variety named after Akhilesh

[1]

The famous 'dussheri' belt of Uttar Pradesh has a new offering this summer - 'Akhilesh aam', a new variety of mango named after the state's youngest Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Grafting expert and Padamshree horticulturist Haji Kaleemullah Khan, who had earlier launched mangoes in the name of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actress Aishwarya and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has come up with 'Akhilesh aam' this season. Khan said he has given this name "as the tree which bears the fruit has just entered its fifth year and no tree bears fruit in such a tender age.

"As the young tree has fruit, which is of good quality I decided to name it after our CM Akhilesh", Khan said.

About the mango, Khan said that it is reddish in colour and would be known for its sweetness. It would also have a thin peel and seed.

"The mango, which is yet to ripen, will weigh about one kg. I will present it to the CM once it is ready", Khan said.

The horticulturist, who is based in the mango-belt of Malihabad, is known for growing unique variety of fruits especially mangoes.

Last year, Khan had grafted new variety of mango and named it as 'Sonia aam' and in May 2010, the 70-year-old man came with a 'Sachin aam'.

Kaleemullah won the Padmashree for growing more than 300 varieties of mangoes of different shapes and sizes on a tree.

The tree is about 100 years old and he started working on it in 1987 to develop the craft of growing different varieties on one tree.