A spurt in king of fruits Mango flowering across the State has completely changed the scenario and experts predict a yield not less than nine lakh tones this year in Karnataka.
Mango lovers can rejoice as the record flowering in February has raised hopes of a reasonably good harvest.
The popular varieties have already hit the markets while others are expected arrive in May-June. The prices are expected to stabilize once the arrivals increase.
What was earlier predicted to be an off-year for the crop as the previous year turned out to be a good one will be good now, thanks to widespread flowering in four stages since December. Fruiting too occurred in sizeable numbers despite droppings in some mango-growing areas due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm.
Attributing the change in fruiting pattern to change in climatic conditions with the State in the grip of an extreme dry spell and severe heat, the authorities have anticipated a production of at least eight lakh tones of mango this year provided there are no heavy rains and hailstorms in the weeks ahead.
Horticulture specialist S V Hittalmani, who retired as the Additional Director of Horticulture handling the fruits division, said that fruits have started arriving in full scale with growers harvesting abundant yield in areas like Ramanagaram. Fruits from Kolar and Chickballapur districts were expected soon, he added.
On the overall production this season, Dr. Hittalmani, who toured the mango-growing areas with others from the Department of Horticulture, said the Technical Committee on Mango and the Mango Board have estimated the yield (based on the current crop situation and arrivals) at 8 to 9 lakh tones..
Last year too was an on year for the crop but the yield dropped as the fruit got spoiled for various reasons. The final output last year was between 7 lakh tonnes to 7.5 lakh tonnes. “We are hoping for a much higher yield and better fruits as well this season,” Dr Hittalmani said. The price could be moderate compared to last year but it all depends on the varieties and the choice of mango lovers. “Fruits won’t be pricey when arrivals are heavy,” he replied.
About 1.7 lakh hectare land was under mango cultivation in the State. Growers were switching over to varieties such as Alphonso which yields good returns.
“Mango-growers in the State are becoming organized like apple-growers in the north. Soon, farmers will adopt new marketing methods to get higher returns for their crop,”
Despite the arrival of new varieties of mango, they haven’t been received as well as the older and popular ones which have been ruling the markets for decades now. In Karnataka, there are over a dozen varieties of mango that can be described as bestsellers in every season.
“There is very little scope for new varieties. But research on the new ones has continued although people have limited choices of the fruit in different States,” the department sources added.
The liking for the fruit is also region and State-specific. For instance, people in Maharashtra prefer Alphonso over other varieties. In Karnataka, the acceptance is more for varieties like Raspuri, Badam, Malgoa and Mallika. In Andhra Pradesh, it’s Saindoora, while people in Tamil Nadu prefer the Neelam variety. Mankur or Mankurad in Goa, Kesar in Gujarat, Malda in West Bengal, Langda or Langra in Bihar are among the widely-accepted mango varieties, he added.
