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Leaner, costlier mango crop expected: Get set to shell out more ₹for the king of fruits
Gorging on your favourite fruit will be dearer this summer as the mango crop in Malihabad is expected to be a lean crop
Gorging on your favourite fruit will be dearer this summer as the mango crop in Malihabad is expected to be a lean crop.
Mango growers here cited poor flowering, diseases and erratic water supply as a few reasons for the expected low produce and said the crop is also likely to be delayed by around 20 days and is expected to hit the market by June 20 this year.
The mango growers said poor flowering tops the issues that hampered the produce this mango season. They said temperature plays an important role in flowering, and “this year, the high-intensity winter hampered flowering.”
Mohammed Miyan, a mango grower in Malihabad, where 23,589 hectares of land is engaged in mango farming, said that this year they were really looking forward to a good yield, “but the delayed flowering has left a severe dent on the mango crop,” he added.
Another mango grower, Mohammed Rizwan, former village head of Sindharwa village, said that this time is a crucial time for the mango crop as this is the time for the flowers to bloom, “but the delayed blooming has dashed all hopes,” he added.
Insram Ali, president All India Mango Growers’ Association (AIMGA) said that on an average, the mango belt here in Uttar Pradesh, produces 45 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes. But this time, following the delayed flowering and other factors, including poor watering and availability of poor quality pesticide, the production is expected to be lower than usual. “Besides, the crop is also late this year and is likely to hit the market in the second or third week of June” said Ali.
He said that the low produce will also push up prices of the fruit. “We don’t even have the status of a farmer. Neither is our crop insured, nor do we get any subsidy from the government on pesticides,” he added.
Shailendra Rajan, former director Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, (CISH), Lucknow, and an expert on the fruit described it a delayed flowering issue, which he said is due to the low temperature. He said the scenario will not only delay the crop but will also reduce the yield.
