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KSMDMC projects around 13 lakh yield of mangoes as favourable weather key for strong harvest
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Tuesday, 28 January, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
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Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation (KSMDMC) has projected a total mango yield of 12 to 13 lakh tonnes for this year. This estimate follows after in-depth discussions with its technical committee, which cited favourable climatic conditions as a key factor for ensuring a strong harvest.
Mangoes are cultivated on 46,679 hectares in Kolar district in the state which is producing 4,03,884 tonnes of fruit, the highest in Karnataka. Banganapalli, Mallika, Alphonso/Badami, Totapuri, Neelam, Raspuri, Mal-gova and Amlet, which is a pickle variety, are the famous mangoes found in Karnataka. Srinivaspur in Kolar is nicknamed as the Mango City of India as over 63 species of mangoes are found here. It is also the biggest producer of mangoes in Karnataka.
Last year, despite the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation's average yield prediction of around 10 lakh tonnes, the actual yield dropped to a mere 30% of the estimate due to adverse weather conditions and pest attacks. Extreme heat caused mango flowers to wither away before they could develop into fruits.
According to C.G. Nagaraju, managing director, KSMDMC, “Mangoes require cool conditions for fruit formation and this year, the weather has been conducive. Even though flowering has been slightly delayed, we have predicted a good year, subject to weather not playing spoilsport. If there is no rain until fruits are formed, then by the second week of April, we will start seeing mangoes in the market. Those who treat their mangoes (for quick ripening) might bring their fruits earlier."
As in previous years, mangoes from Ramanagara district and its surrounding areas are expected to be the first to arrive in the market. These will be followed by produce from Kolar, Chickballapur, and regions in North Karnataka, he added.
Even with favourable weather conditions, pest infestations remain a persistent challenge for mango growers, impacting both yield and quality. “We have issued advisories to control hoppers disease, inflorescence bud disease etc. We have also sent technical teams to all the districts to help the farmers,” informed Nagaraju.
While farmers are optimistic about this year’s mango yield, recent cloudy conditions and light rainfall over the past few days have raised concerns about potential impacts on the crop.
“We did not need this rain at this time as the flowers are close to fruit formation. If the weather improves over the next few days and there is enough heat in the upcoming weeks, then we might have a good year,” said Dharanish Kumar, president, Kanakapura and Channapatna Mango Growers’ Association.
The popular Badami and Senthura mango varieties are expected to hit the market before other varieties such as Mallika, Bainganapalli, and Rasapuri. In 2024, mango prices soared to over Rs 200 per kilogram for several varieties due to insufficient supply from the State to meet the high demand, according to KSMDMC.
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