Mango output likely to drop by 40%

Kakinada: Mango crop yield is likely to fall by 40 per cent this season compared with mango season in 2018. The horticulture authorities attribute the fall to untimely rains during December last, apart from fluctuations in temperatures and fog during night times in flowering stage. This has resulted not only in reduced yield, but also late arrival of peak season, which is now expected from May 15 to June 15 as against April-May generally.

In normal conditions, the flowering is completed during February and the mango crop harvesting starts by the third week of April. But this year, flowering has been delayed by one month, that is from February to March, resulting in crop delay from April to May besides loss of crop.

In East Godavari district, the mango crop is cultivated in 15,669 hectare across 13 mandals, mostly upland in the district. These are Tuni, Rajanagaram ,Gokavara, Korukonda, Sankavaram, Tondangi, Jaggampeta, Prathipadu, Kotananduru, Gollaprolu, Rangampeta, Rowtulapudi and Gandepalli . These mandals cover 85 per cent of total mango crop in the district.

Average crop yield of 1.60 lakh tonne in the district, it is expected to touch only 80,000 to 90,000 tonne during the present season because of the climatic conditions. As far as ripening of the mango fruit is concerned, the horticulture authorities strongly advocate for non-utilisation of carbide process which results in health problems to consumers.

Instead, the farmers are being advised to opt for ethylene chambers for this purpose which is safe and will not create any health problems to consumers, said East Godavari horticulture and micro-irrigation project deputy director (DD) S Ram Mohan. "We supply the ethylene chambers costing Rs 2,200 at half the price of 1,100 with 50 per cent subsidy," the DD said. He appealed to farmers not to use carbide for short term gains which has been banned and harmful to the consumers.