Mango yield goes down, prices shoot up in Telangana
Hyderabad: Relishing mangoes this season could be a costly affair as the yield has decreased drastically in the State due to varied reasons, including unseasonal rains, temperature variations and pest attacks. As the arrival of mangoes decreased in the markets, they are now being sold at Rs.120 to Rs.150 a kg in the retail sector. […]
Hyderabad: Relishing mangoes this season could be a costly affair as the yield has decreased drastically in the State due to varied reasons, including unseasonal rains, temperature variations and pest attacks. As the arrival of mangoes decreased in the markets, they are now being sold at Rs.120 to Rs.150 a kg in the retail sector. Annually, about 11.50 lakh tonnes of mangoes are produced in the State and this season the arrivals have declined to about 3 to 4 lakh tonnes.
Apart from unseasonal rains and rising temperatures, escalating diesel prices have also aided in shooting up of mango prices. Farmers attribute that increasing transportation costs have also cast an impact on the prices. Explaining the reasons for low yield this season, Horticulture Director L Venkatram Reddy said unseasonal rains during October last year delayed the bud formations.
In addition to this, variations in day and night temperatures during February affected flowering and it also resulted in increased shedding this season. To top it all, there was pest attack in few fields, especially old gardens. All these factors adversely impacted the mango yield this season, he said.
As a result, the wholesale price of mangoes is now about Rs.1.20 lakh per tonne as against last year’s price of Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 per tonne, he informed Telangana Today.
Mangoes are cultivated in over 3 lakh acres in erstwhile Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Warangal, Ranga Reddy, Adilabad districts. Depending on the climatic conditions and farming practices, generally, four lakh tonnes of yield is harvested per acre.
Among the 11.50 lakh tonnes total yield only 22,000 metric tonnes of stocks are consumed in the State and the rest is transported to other States. Eventually, it is exported to other countries, he explained.
Remedial measures being taken up Horticulture department
The Banaganapalli and other varieties of mangoes cultivated by farmers in the State are more prone for pests attack compared to Kesari varieties cultivated in Gujarat and other States.
To address these issues, the horticulture department was now offering Ratna variety of mango grafts for the farmers. This variety was basically a hybrid between Alphonso and Neelam varieties and it was more pests attack resistant. These grafts would be available at the Centre of Excellence, Mulugu and farmers can obtain them from June, said Horticulture Director L Venkatram Reddy.
In addition to this, high density plantation of mango saplings was being promoted from the next cropping season. Under this initiative, farmers would be made to plant 250 saplings per acre against the conventional practice of planting 70 to 80 saplings per acre, he explained.
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