Weather, elections delay mango-picking tours this year

Those looking forward to the mango-picking season and tours built around it are disappointed as there are hiccups in organising them this year.

Despite being in the second week of May, the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) is still to announce the details of the mango tours, amid high expectation from mango lovers. The agency has been receiving a flurry of calls from the public on this year's tour for the past two weeks.

KSMDMCL chairman L Gopalakrishna said the unprecedented rain from September to November has pushed the mango harvest season by a month. Farmers reported crop losses in some places, while the yield has lessened in many other places as the summer heat is less intense.

KSMDMCL managing director C G Nagaraj said the tours have not been planned as yet despite receiving several calls from participants eager to register for them.

The elections did not help the situation either. Farmers affiliated with various associations have been hauled away for poll campaigning.

Politicians in Kolar, Srinivaspur, Ramanagaram, Chikkaballapur and surrounding areas have asked KSMDMCL and the farmers themselves not to host tours this season, prompting many to stay away from registering for the tours.

The KSMDMCL shortlists a group of mango orchards, which are then visited by its representatives to prepare the final list of orchards that would host the tours. Only after the list is prepared does the corporation ask for applications from prospective tourists, with the indication of the orchard they prefer to visit. "This'll take some time," Gopalakrishna said.

The choice of fields will also depend on the preference of the participants. KSMDMCL officials said since the much-awaited mango mela is yet to be organised at Lalbagh, the tours cannot be announced. The tour dates will also depend on the formation of the new government, said another official.

KSMDMCL first organised the mango-picking tours in 2016, holding about 10 tours since it was organised during the end of the season in July. It began the tours in the second week of May last year and managed about 20 tours.