Visakhapatnam: This year, slurping on a mango will be dearer
Mango yield is going to be affected due to delayed blooming in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam: Devouring Banganapalli mangoes are going to be dearer this season as the yield is expected to drop by 40 percent. Although North Andhra districts are dominated by this variety of fruit followed by Suvarna Rekha, Collector, Pariya and Panukulu, Banganapalli, however, is expected to be the worst hit this year.
Delayed flowering and unfavourable weather conditions attribute to the expected low produce. In Visakhapatnam district, mangoes are grown in Padmanabham, K Kotapadu, Kotauratla, Nakkapalle, Payakaraopeta Narsipatnam, among other mandals. "This year, mangoes are grown in 14,710 hectares.
While some are in a berry stage, few others are yet to reach the flowering stage.
It would be mid-June by the time the mature fruits arrive in the markets.
This time, 40 percent of the yield will be reduced," explains K Sailaja, Assistant Director of Horticulture.
Of all the varieties, Banganapalli is going to be the most affected variety as the fruit formation is yet to happen.
Barring Krishna district, the rest of the districts across Andhra Pradesh, including Vizianagaram and Chittoor are expected to be hit by low produce.
Another worrying factor is that the king of fruits is going to be quite pricey. Last year, a tonne of mangoes were sold for Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000. But this time, it is likely to double up. "The price of mangoes per tonne is expected to cost Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. Again, it depends on the climatic conditions. Unseasonal rains and gales may further impact the pricing," adds Sailaja. Farmers in the district mention that poor flowering hampered the produce to a considerable extent.
They express concern over recovering investment costs. "Delayed blooming has certainly dashed our hopes and we are not going to witness any favourable yield. By the time the fruits arrive in the market, it would be too late," laments Narasimha Naidu, a farmer from K Kotapadu mandal. Currently, there are about six ripening chambers in the district, including the one in Gajuwaka and Rushikonda.
For most farmers, delayed crops coupled with low yield turn out to be quite disappointing.