E-Paper
Unusual rain, lockdown trigger dip in mango production, prices in state
Bengaluru: Unseasonal rain and the month-long lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in a drop in the production and prices of mangoes in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Unseasonal rain and the month-long lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in a drop in the production and prices of mangoes in Karnataka. According to farmers, this year’s yield has dropped by 65-70% and lack of exports due to the pandemic has resulted in the prices dropping in the local markets.
In Bengaluru’s markets, various mango variants are being sold at ₹20-30 less than their normal prices. Banganapalli mangoes, which sell around ₹70-80 per kg were being sold at ₹45-50 in several markets in Bengaluru on Thursday. According to traders, since the lockdown is in effect, the demand for mangoes is less, forcing them to sell at a lower rate.
“People aren’t coming out to buy fruits. We are left with most of our stock during the week. While we get some orders from delivery apps, it is usually small scale. Now we are really left with no option but to reduce the prices,” said Arogya Das, a fruit vendor in the Frazer Town in East Bengaluru.
Karnataka is among the top mango growers in India, cultivating the crop on 168,000 hectares in 16 districts, including Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Dharwad and Ramanagara. Karnataka grows Badami, Mallika, Neelam, Malgova, Kalapad, Sindhura, Alphanso, Totapuri and other varieties of mangoes.
Srinivas Gowda, president, Chickballapur Mango Growers’ Association, which is one of the largest growers of mangoes in the state, said the production of the seasonal fruit has come down drastically. “Compared to our capacity, we are producing only 30-35% of the yield. Several table variants like Malgova, Alphonso, Raspuri and others have seen big slash in production,” he added.
Gowda said the unseasonal rain was one of the reasons for the limited production. “There were heavy wind, rains, and even hailstorms in several parts of the state during the flowering season and harvest,” Gowda explained.
Even though the production has reduced, the prices of the mangoes didn’t see a hike like it should have as per the market conventions, but instead, there was a drop in prices. Gowda cited the lack of exports as the main reason for this. “Just to give example of our region, we used to see around 250 tonnes exported to several countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf countries. But this year, because of the pandemic and regulations, we could send only 1 tonne. This is just our region. Now you can imagine the situation of the rest of the state,” he said.
Even the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation agreed that there was a massive reduction in export. While this year’s figures were not readily available, according to senior officials of the corporation, in 2020, an estimated 1,000 tonnes of exports were reported in the state against the normal 50,000. “It could be worse this year. We will know the exact figure at the end of the season,” said a senior corporation official.
In its attempt to promote mango sales during the lockdown, the corporation had launched an online portal, where mangoes would be delivered through the India Post. However, the project has not covered much distance.
Meanwhile, the lack of exports has also resulted in the overload of mangoes in the retail market and that had resulted in the drop in the prices, added Gowda.
