The tail end areas of Chittoor district are known for fine varieties of mangoes, attracting traders from across the country, with a dominant presence of the pulp industry, but the situation has changed in the last ten years largely due to adverse climatic conditions.
The season this year, which began in March and will last till July, seems to be no different with officials of the Horticulture Department confirming that the yield has fallen to 25% and even below, compared with 40% last year.
Though mango gardens are spread in over 1.06 lakh hectares in the district, yield is expected in 77,000 hectares. At many places, the fruit is small in size, showing signs of withering.
Praying for rain
Deputy Director (Horticulture) T. Saraswathi told The Hindu that the prospects of looked very bleak and attributed it to drought conditions for the last three years and subsequent depletion of groundwater table.
The official said that the season commenced with tremendous flowering, dominated by ‘male flowers.’ Pollination did not work out properly, coupled with much delay in the ‘fruit-set’ aspect.
“A spell of rain is badly needed now,” Ms. Saraswathi said, summing up the situation.
Farmers predominantly depend on the Totapuri variety, meant for the pulp industry. In 2018, its price crashed to ₹3 a kg. The State government had to intervene with a support price, seeking cooperation from the pulp industry. Interestingly, the pulp industry in the district is said to be interested in getting stocks from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Horticulture officials said the crop is “superb” in several parts of Tamil Nadu, and growers there are willing sell the stocks at low prices.
Hopes dashed
Ramachandra, a paddy farmer from Bangarupalem, said that this season he had shifted to mango cultivation. Another farmer, Srinivasulu Reddy, of Irala mandal, said that he increased the acreage from five to 12 hectares a couple of years ago.
A majority of farmers said that they had expected some breather with mango cultivation as traditional farming of sugarcane, paddy and groundnut had utterly failed in several parts of the district.
Kisan Service Organisation Chittoor district president T. Audikesavulu Reddy said that mango cultivation costs ₹75,000 per acre.
Mr. Audikesavulu Reddy said urgent measures such as fixing the price of the Totapuri variety at ₹20,000 per tonne and preventing the pulp units from procuring stocks from Tamil Nadu should be taken quickly in order to bail out the struggling farmers.
