Mango growers distraught as weather plays spoilsport

Unseasonal winds and hailstorms have damaged almost 1,000 tonnes in Kolar, says official

Mounting losses: As fallen fruits do not fetch a good rate, farmers are forced to sell export quality mangoes at throwaway prices.

First drought and, now, fickle weather have played havoc with the mango crop in the Srinivasapur taluk of Kolar district, which accounts for nearly 47% of mango production in Karnataka.

A spate of unseasonal winds and hailstorms in the last week of April and on May 2 and 4 damaged an estimated 1,000 tonnes of mangoes in the taluk, said M. Srinivas, Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture.

Huge blow

Officials said the loss in the past week alone could be as high as ₹1 crore. “Revenue staff are still surveying the damage, and the exact quantity of loss will be known in a few days after the survey is completed,” said officials of the Horticulture Department.

The loss has come as a huge blow to cultivators who were expecting good returns this year and were preparing to harvest the crop. The overall production of mangoes is bound to be hit this season. Mature mangoes, nearly ready to be picked, have fallen to the ground because of strong winds and hailstorms.

Damage was reported from Aramakanahalli, Dwarasandra, Alambagiri, Patapalli, Avalakuppa, Hodali, Ronur, and several other places in the taluk. “Three tonnes of different variety of mangoes such as Rajgir, Benisha and Totapuri, cultivated on my five acres of land, were damaged. It caused me a loss of around ₹80,000,” said P. Veerabhdrappa, a farmer.

Can’t afford labour

As the fallen fruits do not fetch a good rate in the market, those who have cultivated export quality crops are forced to sell them at throwaway prices. Many are not even hiring workers as the money from sale will not cover even the labour cost.

“Relief will be granted to growers only after a Central team assesses the loss. There is a provision for providing ₹20,000 as compensation per hectare. Only those who have suffered 33% economic loss are eligible for compensation,” said M.S. Raju, Deputy Director, Horticulture Department, Kolar.