The prolonged heatwave condition and lack of moisture in the soil have badly affected the mango crop in Karnataka this year even as the on-year for the fruit has turned into an off-year, leading to a sharp fall in mango production.
Till January, the horticulture experts had hoped for a good crop yield thanks to well-timed and widespread flowering. The year 2024 was foreseen as an on-year for the crop as 2023 was an off-year. As the days progressed, with temperature rising from January-end and deficit soil moisture due to severe drought conditions, the season became an off-year for the crop.
“The crop is almost gone this year, with whatever production that has been achieved. Don’t expect quality fruits this year. Whatever fruits that are arriving in the market are among the 30 percent output of what has been predicted. If it were to be an on-year, around 14-15 lakh tonnes of fruit could have been harvested. An output of around 4 lakh tonnes can be hoped this year,” said S.V. Hittalmani, former additional director, Department of Horticulture, Bengaluru, who travelled to various mango growing areas to assess the crop situation.
Mr. Hittalmani, a horticulture expert, told The Hindu that the condition during the fruit-growing period was hostile and the trees developed stress with almost nil soil moisture that could have helped the crop sustain the heat. During the critical period of growth, the factors turned differently for the crop, causing a sharp drop in the yields.
He said the growth of vegetative flush (chiguru) during flowering damaged the crop as flowers started falling. “This also led to hormonal imbalance. Deficit rainfall last year and resulting drought conditions hit the crop. The last rain received during the development stage was last October. The extreme heat and dry weather damaged the crop.”
The fall in production has made the king of fruit pricey. Badam, Raspuri, Mallika, Saindoora, and a few other varieties have arrived in the market. While the Badam variety is priced at ₹200 a kg, Raspuri is being sold at ₹140-150 a kg, and Mallika ₹130-140 a kg in the retail market. “Despite the off year, you still get the fruits. But the quality will not be the same. And, do not expect better fruits in May and June because of the lower output,” Mr. Hittalmani said.
Last year, the mango output in the State dropped considerably, making the fruit dearer as various factors led to the fall in the yield and turning the year an off-year for the crop. The crop loss was also severe last year as all major mango growing areas such as Ramanagaram, Kolar, Chickballapur, and Bengaluru rural reported the same situation. Haveri, Dharwad, Belagavi, and Tumakuru where the crop is cultivated also saw lower yields. Like this year, the sudden rise in temperature in February last damaged the crop.
Back to back off-years
Two back-to-back off-years for the mango crop have disappointed mango lovers. Last year, the fruit saw lower yields and the cost was also high because of a drop in production. The crop season turned from on-year to off-year in 2023 and 2024 due to various factors, affecting its arrival to the markets. Around 5-6 lakh tonnes of fruit was harvested last year. This year, the condition is even more severe as the yield is expected to fall below 4 lakh tonnes because of the prevailing heat wave conditions. In 2021, the State produced around 15 lakh tonnes of mangoes while it was 8-9 lakh in 2022 despite an off-year. The last two years have not been very heartening for the growers. Neither the growers benefitted nor the consumers. Traders are citing poor output for the rising prices of the fruit.
