Drop in the production of the tropical fruit
April 18, 2017 at 9:22 AM ,
Mark Overseas
Mango growers claimed that the severe cold and subsequent sweltering climate in February affected mango flowers. The production of mangoes has been only 25 per cent of what was produced last year. Only a limited amount of Alphonso mangoes from the Konkan region will be available this summer.
The prices of mangoes per dozen is around $9.5 - $10.85 which is more, compared to the prices last year $6.2 - $7 per dozen.
Arif Bagdadi, a mango farm owner from Devgad in Sindhudurg district, blamed the harsh weather for lack of production. “It was extremely hot and cold during February. This didn’t help us in any way. The extreme weather affected the flowers and all of them fell. This is the reason why the produce has reduced,” said Mr Bagdadi.
Mandar Desai, who owns a 700-acre mango plantation in Ratnagiri, said that increased heat has caused 35% flowers on mango trees to drop. This, in turn, is likely to affect Alphonso production in April and May. He also added that the temperature difference during the day which is 59°F and in the noon the temperatures have been above 95°F
The production of mango crop in Israel is more than in India. While India produces 10 tonnes of mangoes on one hectare land, Israel produces 30 to 50 tonnes. The prime problem for low production is the unscientific management of mango groves. Adopting Israeli method of agriculture could help farmers in India yield more mangoes.
Back to the Indian crop, the domestic demand for mangoes has also taken a dip as the prices are high. With another month and a half of the mango season remaining, lovers of the fruit are waiting for prices to drop further. Prices are still comparatively high, and as more stock comes in to the market in a couple of weeks, the prices will drop and the demand will slowly increase.