Scanty rain dashes hope of bumper mango harvest, sends price soaring

“Mango yield is coming down gradually over the last five years. This season, production has fallen by up to 80 per cent. Last year, the harvest was only 30 per cent of the usual yield and this season it is lesser by another 10 per cent,” said J Sreenivasan, president of Federation of Small Farmers and Traders for Advancement and Protection of Salem Mangoes.

After a low yield last year, the good blooms in mango trees raised the hopes of farmers. What also gave them hopes is that a good year usually follows a bad one. Hence, farmers had high expectations for a bumper harvest with mango orchards in the western district in full bloom during the usual flowering period of December and January.

However, the bountiful flowers failed to bear fruits and instead shed down due to prolonged dry spell. The fate of the harvest is generally decided upon by the summer showers received in the months of March, April and May. The peak mango season, which starts in May, would extend till July.

Over 50 varieties of mangoes like malgova, alphonso, senthoora, imam pasand, nedusala and other types are grown in abundance in the orchards of Salem. Also some north Indian varieties like kesar, rasala and chow chow mangoes are harvested in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Salem districts.

With a huge dip in mangoes reaching the markets, the price of mangoes, too, has skyrocketed. “Prices of mangoes have increased by 20 to 30 per cent due to shortage. Despite high prices, farmers faced huge loss due to low yield,” said Sreenivasan.

Mangoes harvested in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts are mainly meant for pulp production, while the fruits from Salem have a unique taste and are favoured by people across Tamil Nadu. Also large quantities are exported to neighbouring states and across the country by farmers.

For a long time, the mango farmers have been demanding the government to set up a pulp manufacturing unit in the district. Though there are ones run by private firms, they allegedly exploit the farmers and buy mangoes in bulk at a throw away price during the peak season. Also a minimum support price should be fixed for mangoes to prevent farmers incurring huge losses due to heavy production, they urged.

Mango farmers have also sought the help of the government to get GI tag for the mango verities endemic to their region.