Even as the peak mango season is expected to start from May, the overall yield of the crop is likely to be low this year like past two years. Horticulture experts predict that the output in Karnataka could be at least 30 per cent less and the shortfall may turn the king of fruits expensive.
Untimely rain in December and excess heat in February have adversely impacted flowering and fruit setting. The vagaries of the weather will continue to impact mango yield in the state for the third consecutive year.
Farmers were expecting a good yield this year after low yields in the last two years. However, senior officials in the Horticulture Department and the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) said that the state might get only 70 per cent of mango yield this season.
Mangoes are grown in over 1.60 lakh hectares in Karnataka. In a normal year, 14 lakh tonnes of yield is expected. But due to the withering of flowers between December and February, around 10 lakh tonnes of mango harvest is expected.
Last year, farmers had cultivated mangoes on 1.30 lakh hectares of land but could harvest only 7 to 8 lakh tonnes. The average yield of mangoes in the state in the last five years is 12 lakh tonnes.
Officials also fear the shorter span of winter might impact the quality of the fruits.
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