Chittoor district, famous for its mouthwatering varieties of mangoes, is desperately waiting for full-fledged flowering to appear in the orchards with hardly four months left for the mango season to end.
According to the officials, the flowering has been inordinately delayed this year due to the prolonged spell of Northeast monsoon last year, even extending into the New Year.
Compared to the previous two years under COVID-19 shadow, this year has seen a considerable increase in the acreage and maintenance of mango orchards in 2.5 lakh acres in Chittoor district.
An unusual phenomenon of “delayed flowering” and “new flushes” is seen all over the gardens presently. The mango growers say that by this time, the orchards should have been showing tender fruit, a portion of which would be ready for sales during the Ugadi and Srirama Navami festivals.
“It is for the first time in two decades that we are seeing an excessive delay in the crop pattern,” said Dhananjayulu, a mango grower in Tavanampalle mandal.
Business hit
The mango business has become a gamble in Chittoor in the last five years, marred by protests and demands of farmers to provide a remunerative price for their produce. Interestingly, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his marathon walkathon in the district before coming into power, had come out with a promise to constitute a Mango Board to address the grievances of the farmers and to ensure remunerative prices to their yields.
The mango growers maintain that they keep remembering the promise every year between January and July, but no concrete steps are to be seen in that direction. The reality is that the mango yields had hardly crossed 35% during the last decade, despite the awareness camps to whet the skills of the mango growers each year.
Nature’s vagaries
The mango growers in Bangarupalem, Tavanampalle, and Palamaner mandals, which form the core belt of the crop, expressed serious concern at the vagaries of nature this year. “We do not know what is in store for us in the coming three months. Early or delayed flowering, the season would be over by mid of July at any cost. In 2021, the flowering appeared in early February and the business was over by early July with about 30% yield. Due to the COVID pandemic, both the domestic and overseas exports remained minimal. Ironically, the first and second waves of the pandemic struck the mango farmers exactly at the time of harvesting in 2020 and 21. Due to lockdown, some of the prime varieties were sold at ₹100 per five kg last year,” said Mani, a farmer of M. Kotur village of Palamaner mandal.
The farmers fear that going by steadily growing mercury in Chittoor district, considered early in March, the possibility of heavy gales between mid-April and May looked potential, and this could shatter their hopes for decent yield. As the flowering has started after a delay of three months, the yields also could be stunted this year, making it tough for processing the export quality, they said.
Responding to the crisis of delayed flowering, Deputy Director (Horticulture) B. Srinivasulu attributed the scenario to “prolonged northeast monsoon.”
“New flowering also has chances to set into fruit. We should wait for some more time to assess the yield,” the official said.
