KANNUR: It is an initiative that is expected to attract farmers in the region who are on the lookout for a lucrative alternative food crop and, if successful, mango orchards growing indigenous and exotic varieties of mango will be a reality soon. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Kannur (KVK- K) at Panniyur, here, is all set to promote ‘mango villages’ in the district, a scheme meant to encourage mango cultivation on a commercial basis. The scheme has been conceived to provide relief to the farmers, beset with problems ranging from foot rot disease affecting pepper and lethal yellowing of areca nut to plummeting prices of their produce. The Kendra, under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), is highlighting the importance of mango cultivation as an alternative food crop, quite distinct from rubber which many believe has been erasing the native crops of the region, including cashew, and thus harming biodiversity. The Kendra has produced over 50 ,000 mango grafts of 15 varieties, including rare and indigenous ones, such as Phirangiladua, Kalappadi, Mallika, Magoa, Alphonso, Sindhooran, Banganappally, Banglore, Imampasand and Kuddat as also home-grown varieties such as Chandrakkaran. The scions of these varieties have been collected from various sources, including the KAU’s Regional Agricultural Research Stations, Aralam Farm and Karimbam Farm of the Department of Agriculture. The grafts will be ready for sale by November. “The initial response to this novel idea of promoting the mango villages is encouraging as many farmers from different parts of the district have already informed us of their requirement of grafts,” KVK-K head and professor K. Abdul Kareem told The  Hindu . The mango nursery developed at the KVK-K was the biggest in the State, he said, adding that there was no mango farming in the region as mangoes were not grown on a commercial scale. The initiative is envisaged as a drive to groom mango farmers by encouraging them to adopt scientific cultivation practices, including irrigation, fertilizer application and plant protection measures. The KVK-K will soon organise a training programme on scientific mango farming. Dr. Kareem said the ‘mango village’ initiative would popularise rare mango varieties such as Phirangiladua and Kalappadi. The KVK-K now has a collection of mango species, including culinary varieties and those used for making pickles.