There are two things to look forward to in the summer season — vacation and mangoes.
With assorted raw mangoes already flooding the city markets, growers across the district expect a bumper harvest compared to the last couple of years.
A variety of mangoes, including ‘banganapalli’, ‘suvarna rekha’, ‘collector’ and ‘rasalu’, among others, are grown over 14,000 hectares in the district. Sources said the yield was likely to touch 11 tonnes per hectare. “The yield is expected to increase minimum one tonne per hectare compared to last year. Favourable climatic condition during various stages of harvesting is one of the main reasons for the bountiful harvest,” says K. Sailaja, assistant director of Horticulture.
Raw mangoes flood market
Though more ripened mangoes are expected to hit the markets in the coming weeks, heaps of raw ones already find a place in the Rythu Bazaars. The raw varieties are arriving from Anandapuram, K. Kotapadu, Pendurthi and Sabbavaram, among other places.
Better pest management and organic practices are the other factors that the farmers from Anandapuram and Chodavaram attribute to the quality produce.
After a long wait of three years, Nagi Reddy Appa Rao, a farmer, is counting days to make seasonal business of organic mangoes grown in his neighbourhood. ‘Palaparya’, ‘suvarna rekha’, ‘banganapalli’ and ‘totapuri’ are some of the varieties he cultivates in Adduru village, Chodavaram mandal.
“After witnessing low yields in the last two years post cyclone Hudhud, the harvest has increased to more than 30%. These organic produce will hit the domestic markets by April end or May first week,” he says.
