With no export or inter-state trade, Malihabad mangoes headed for Lucknow

Orchard owners say since mango export and inter-state mango trade have been badly affected following the lockdown and ongoing corona crisis, the mango growers in Malihabad belt have no option than to pump in the supply to the state capital or neighbouring districts.

Good news for mango lovers. This year the markets will be flush with mangoes. Orchard owners say since mango export and inter-state mango trade have been badly affected following the lockdown and ongoing corona crisis, the mango growers in Malihabad belt have no option than to pump in the supply to the state capital or neighbouring districts.

It’s a double whammy for mango growers. Not only are they battling the lockdown effect on the mango crop but also there is less produce this year. (Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

This was also likely to bring down the prices of the luscious Malihabadi Dussehri to as low as Rs 15 per kg.

“It’s a double whammy for mango growers. Not only are they battling the lockdown effect on the mango crop but also there is less produce this year. We don’t have any option than to pump in whatever produce we have to Lucknow or neighbouring districts since the traditional buyers from other states haven’t placed any orders this time. But this will only be possible if lockdown opens and there are plenty of vehicles available to facilitate transportation of mangoes,” said Insram Ali, president of All India Mango Growers Association.

Ali said Lucknow’s mango belt that also fetched it the title of ‘mango capital’, comprised of Malihabad, Mall and Kakori. “In all three tehsils, the records of the horticulture department suggest mango is produced on 23,589 hectares of land. Mallihabad is said to be the largest contributor to the total mango production (from the mango belt) with over 10,000 hectares of land engaged in mango farming,” he added.

He said the lockdown effect had also kept the international buyers at bay. “In UP, every year, the mango growers used to export around 10 tonnes of Dussehri mangoes to the Gulf countries and this time, following the lockdown there are no buyers from abroad,” he added.

He said the association had also approached the UP Government, demanding its intervention in saying the mango crop from getting spoiled. “Since mango is a perishable fruit and its shelf live is less than other fruits, hence we need proper transportation to supply the fruits to the nearby markets. Government should facilitate the transportation and should also buy the mango produce in order to save mango growers from bankruptcy,” he said.

Dr Shailendra Rajan, director ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) that aims to train the farmers in getting maximum yield said, “The yield is not as good as last year. But, harvesting and marketing are becoming major challenges for the mango growers as there is extreme shortage of labourers. In other parts of the country also mango growers are facing the same issue.”