Amreli District

The strong winds and intense rainfall when Cyclone Tauktae made a landfall recently damaged mango trees and fruits in Amreli and other mango-producing districts in Gujarat. According to the farmers, the mango business has gone back 10 to 25 years due to the recent cyclone, which has caused a huge financial loss to the owners of mango orchards.

Jignesh Gajera, a farmer, said that due to the unseasonal rain and strong winds in this cyclone, mango fruits of the entire district were damaged and the trees too were uprooted from the roots. The district administration is in the process of assessing the damage caused by this cyclone. "Nearly 1,200-1,300 trees have been uprooted, which was our hard work of 10-15 years. Now it will take us the same time again. It would great if the government would provide us help," said Jignesh.

Mango is produced in about 15,000 hectares of Gir Somnath, Talala, and Amreli districts. Amreli district produces mango crop on 7,000 hectares. Due to this cyclone, there is a possibility of a loss of crores of rupees in the Amreli district. According to the local people, mangos can only be cultivated by the end of the summer season and now there is no time to harvest the mango which has been ruined by this cyclone.

"We pluck ripe mangoes and send them for sale around this time. We are sad to see our crop being ruined in this way," said Jignesh. According to mango traders, mango trees have been destroyed in a premature stage due to this cyclone.

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