According to sources horticulture department say that about 30 to 35 percent of the mango crop in South Gujarat may have been damaged.
A sudden change in weather has badly affected mango crops that were ready for harvest in South Gujarat and Saurashtra. Government experts estimate up to 35 percent loss in popular varieties like Alphonso and Kesar.
At the height of summer, thunderstorms accompanied by high-speed winds struck on Monday and Tuesday, causing pre-ripened fruit to fall from trees, leading to significant losses for mango farmers.
Teams from the Gujarat horticulture department, in coordination with the agricultural department and gram sevaks, began a survey from Wednesday onwards to assess the damage caused by the unseasonal weather. On Wednesday, teams comprising agriculture department officials and gram sevaks at the village level began conducting surveys in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and Bharuch. The survey is expected to take around five days, officials said.
In South Gujarat, mangoes are mainly cultivated in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and parts of Bharuch. In Saurashtra, they are grown in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, and Amreli, with Kachchh’s Kesar variety among the last to be harvested., Mango farming spans approximately one lakh hectares in South Gujarat and around 42,000 hectares in Saurashtra, according to the state horticulture department. Last year, yields in South Gujarat ranged from 4 to 4.25 tonnes per hectare, while in Saurashtra it was slightly higher.
The unseasonal weather on Monday and Tuesday brought strong winds and light showers to several areas in South Gujarat – including Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, and Dangs – as well as parts of Saurashtra. Mango farmers in Saurashtra have already started harvesting fruit early to prevent further damage, say sources.
Dinesh Paladiya, Joint Director of the Horticulture Department (Surat range), told The Indian Express, “In South Gujarat, mango is cultivated on close to one lakh hectares-over 36,000 hectares in Valsad, 33,000 hectares in Navsari, 15,000 hectares in Surat, and the remaining in Bharuch district. The major variety is Kesar, accounting for around 60 percent, while Alphonso covers about 30 percent. Other varieties include Dasheri, Langda, Rajapuri, and Totapuri. Alphonso is primarily grown in Valsad. Over 70,000 farmers in South Gujarat are involved in mango cultivation, and Alphonso and other varieties from here are exported to Western countries.”
He added, “On Monday and Tuesday, due to high-speed winds and showers, mangoes that were ready for harvest fell to the ground. The damage assessment will be clearer after the survey. Harvesting had already begun in some areas and was expected to peak in mid-May. While production figures for this year are yet to be confirmed, we estimate losses of 30 to 35 percent due to the adverse weather.”
Bhupendra Tandel, a research scientist at Aspee College of Horticulture under Navsari Agricultural University, said, “Farmers in Navsari have reported an unusually high number of male flowers compared to female flowers in mango orchards this season. Experienced growers can spot the difference, but we conduct awareness programs for newer farmers. Male flowers do not bear fruit.”
He continued, “We also cultivate mangoes on our institutional farms. Due to Tuesday’s high-speed winds, over 50 percent of the ready-to-harvest fruit fell from trees and were damaged. Traders can easily identify fallen fruit, and they usually refuse to buy it. Such fruit is only used to make mango pulp by processing units in Surat, Navsari, and Valsad.”
Tandel noted, “Mango fruit is highly sensitive to climate. When daytime temperatures exceed 34 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures drop to around 13 degrees Celsius, male flowers outnumber female flowers.”
According to media report, R H Ladani, Joint Director of the horticulture department (Rajkot range), said, “After receiving forecasts of light showers and strong winds, we alerted mango growers in Saurashtra, who began harvesting early. About 80 percent of mango cultivation here is Kesar; the rest are other varieties. We will also begin a crop damage survey soon.”
Dashrat Desai, a 60-year-old mango farmer from Valsad, said, “May marks the start of mango harvesting. I’ve been farming mangoes for 30 years, and this year’s unseasonal weather, with strong winds, caused over 40 percent of the fruit to fall before harvesting. I grow Alphonso and Kesar on 70 acres, with about 4,000 trees. I had invested heavily expecting a good yield. Now, those fallen mangoes are useless. Even pulp factories have slashed their rates from Rs 1,600 per ton to Rs 350-400 per ton.”