Unseasonal rain in February and March has damaged the famous Alphonso mango crop of Konkan when the fruit, much in demand the world over, was ready to be plucked. The yield will be just half that of the previous year, and aficionados of the juicy delight will have to pay double the price.
Just 15,000 boxes of 60 mangoes each travel from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurga districts daily now, a comedown from the 40,000 to 60,000 crates in March last year, show figures provided by a growers’ association.
“The rain caused black spots and fungus infections, damaging the ready crop and reducing supply. The situation will get worse as the rain has destroyed the tender mangoes,” says Vivek Bhide, president, Konkan Cooperative Association of Alphonso Mango Growers and Sellers. “What this essentially means is the supply of mangoes in April and May will be less than what it is today.” Usually, the supply goes up to 1.25 lakh boxes a day by May.
The government must waive the crop loans taken by mango farmers to stave off bankruptcies, Dr. Bhide says. Mango growers are pumping in extra pesticide to get rid of the fungus, which thrives in the rain-induced moisture.
Farmers and their organisations in the Konkan region say Alphonso crop on 1.5 lakh hectares of land has been destroyed in the unseasonal rain in February and March. The government is yet to finish its assessment.
The Opposition Congress has accused the BJP-Shiv Sena government of neglecting Konkan farmers, and demanded a compensation of Rs. 4,000 a tree. “Farmers of Marathwada and Vidarbha were given a hefty package as compensation; then why are we being neglected? Despite having 23 MLAs from this region, the Sena and the BJP have failed to provide any relief,” Nitesh Rane, the party’s lone MLA from Konkan, said.
With the low yield and increased input costs, the farmers believe that prices of the fruit are unlikely to come down even in May. However, they expect no benefit to them.
Pesticides for 1,000 mango trees more than 20 years old cost Rs. 3 lakh, while fertilizers and labour require Rs. 2 lakh each. Mango prices usually start at Rs. 4,000 a box in March and fall to around Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 in May as larger consignments start pouring in. “As a farmer, I will be facing loss always. Most of my yield has been lost for which I have invested immensely. Whatever is remaining will not be sufficient to clear those losses. The only one benefiting will be my agent who will sell the fruit at 10 per cent more at least to customers,” Arun Deshmukh, a grower at Pawas in Ratnagiri, said. He owns 2,200 mango trees, but is not sure of a yield exceeding 500 boxes.
Variations in temperature too seem to be lowering the yield. “This year, temperature variations during day and night exceeded 18 degrees Celsius. Most trees produced male flowers. Hence, pollination did not take place and the yield was less,” an Agriculture Department official said.
