Unseasonal rain hits mango yield this year

Unseasonal rains in the past two months has hit mango production and caused at least a 30 percent loss to mango growers in the State, according to Hopcoms officials.

Horticulture department officials say that around 1,600 hectares of mango plantation has been affected due to hailstorm this year and over 4,000 hectares have been affected due to drought. Mango and the jackfruit growers, through their societies, sold nearly 700 metric tonne of mangoes worth Rs 269 lakh and 57 metric tonne of jackfruit worth Rs five lakh in the previous year. This year, the mango production will not cross the 500 metric tonne mark, experts predict.

Inaugurating the Mango and Jackfruit Mela here on Friday, P R Palangappa, administrator, Hopcoms, said despite loss in mango yield this year due to the unseasonal rainfall, there has been more yield. Moreover many varieties are yet to arrive in the market.

Meanwhile, S H Keshav, general manager (administration), Hopcoms (Horticultural Producers’ Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society), said early varieties such as Alphonso (Badami) and Sindhuri have suffered some loss.

“Even during the flowering season in November, there was heavy wind and rains which made flowers to fall and now at the time of harvest, there has been hailstorm, which has affected the early mango variety. However late varieties like Mallika, Neelam and Baiganpalli are not affected and are yet to arrive in the market,” he added.

Hopcoms earned Rs 2.65 crore last year from mango sales. However, this year, it expects at least Rs 60 lakh less business. Also, Hopcoms is selling every variety for at least Rs 10 to Rs 15 more per kg to meet targets.

 Keshav said the mangoes that are sold in Hopcoms do not have ethanol or carbide in them (the chemicals that are used to ripen the mangoes). 

“Despite producing from the farmers directly and selling them, not much is exported as we do not have quarantine measures to meet the international standard guidelines of the percentage of pesticides and residual content in the mangoes. The government is doing its best to support farmers,” he added.

Mangoes in Karnataka are mainly grown in Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Kolar, Bangalore Urban and Rural district, which are already reeling under severe drought.

 The mango growers in these districts are using drip irrigation for water the plantation.
Jackfruit, on the other hand has not been affected due to rains and this year Hopcoms is targeting to sell around 200 metric tonnes.