Karnataka mango produce falls by 5 lakh tonnes this year due to climate extremities

Karnataka, which has produced around 15 lakh tonnes of mangoes in recent years, is staring at a drop of 5 lakh tonnes this year, bringing the total down to 10 lakh tonnes, according to the Horticulture Department. This has resulted in major losses for farmers, with key mango-growing regions such as Kolar, Ramanagara, Chickballapur and surrounding areas being the worst affected.

Meanwhile, officials of the Horticulture Department and Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Managing Director T.R. Vedamurthy attributed the low yield of the seasonal fruit to climate change and its impact.

Mr. Vedamurthy said: “Mango is cultivated on about 1.45 lakh hectares in Karnataka. The yield has been low this season due to extreme weather conditions. A delay in the flowering process led to mangoes being harvested at different stages across regions. In regions surrounding Kolar, Bengaluru South and Chickballapur, harvesting, which usually begins in early May, is still under way. This has led to a delay in organising the mango mela at Lalbagh, which will now be held from June 4 instead of May.”

As per a study by the Karnataka State Mango Development Board, a prolonged cold wave prevailed in several mango-growing regions during the flowering period. Night temperatures remained below 10°C for an extended period, adversely affecting flower development. As a result, the proportion of hermaphrodite flowers declined significantly, leading to poor fruit set of less than 20%.

Emphasising how farmers in Kolar have incurred huge losses this year due to extremely high temperatures as well as abrupt hailstorms and heavy rains, Neelaturu Chinappa Reddy, president of the Karnataka State Mango Growers Welfare Association in Kolar, said: “High temperatures and low moisture have affected the quality of mangoes this year. Farmers have incurred losses of over 70% in both yield and income. Mangoes are usually juicy and sweet, but that is not the case this year. Another challenge has been the thrips pest, which attacks trees and feeds on the leaves, flowers and fruits.”

Based on size and end use, mangoes are broadly classified into two categories — juice/pulp varieties and table fruits. Most farmers cultivate juice and pulp varieties such as Thothapuri and Sendura, which offer higher yields per acre compared to table varieties like Mallika, Dasheri, Malgoba and Amrapali,” he said.

Mr. Chinnappa further highlighted that mango melas have been helpful to farmers as they can sell mangoes directly to customers without any interference of a middleman.

S.V. Hittalamani, noted horticulturist and former Additional Director (Fruits) of the Karnataka Horticulture Department, said: “Mango is a tropical and subtropical crop that can be grown in humid regions such as the Western Ghats and coastal Karnataka, as well as in arid regions like north Karnataka. However, cultivation in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara has always been risky due to frequent cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. During the flowering season in November-December, these regions are often hit by cyclones, leading to pest attacks that damage flowers. This results in crop loss and delays in fruiting.”

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Mango and jackfruit mela on June 4

The Department of Horticulture and the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited are jointly organising a mango and jackfruit mela at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bengaluru from June 4 to 30.

The event will showcase nearly 65 varieties of mangoes and 15 varieties of jackfruit. In addition, around 18 to 20 varieties of mangoes such as Badami, Raspuri, Mallika, Sendura, Himam Pasand, Kesar, Sugar Baby, Dasheri, Baneshan, Mulgoa, Kalapahad, Himayat, Totapuri, Ratnagiri Alphonso, Neelum, Amrapali and other local varieties, as well as seven varieties of jackfruit such as Rudrakshi, Shivaratri, Ekadasha, Tubagere, Lalbagh Madhura, Surya and Chandra are available for sale.

A total of 168 stalls for mango growers and 17 stalls for jackfruit growers have been allocated at the mela.

During the mango mela organised in Cubbon Park from May 8 to May 17, farmers sold around 55 to 57 tonnes of mangoes.