Growers fear up to 70% crop loss due to cold weather
Ahemadabad: Faced with climatic adversities and competition from neighbouring countries, India is set to lose the export market for its famed mangoes.
Mango production in the main growing regions of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India is likely to to be hit due to uneven weather.
Weather vagaries
Production in Uttar Pradesh is likely to be down by about 70 per cent compared to last year, because of the cold and moist weather during the flowering stage.
DK Sharma, Vice-President of Lucknow-based Mango Growers Association of India, said, “We fear a crop loss of about 70 per cent. The continuous cold weather followed by unseasonal rains during the flowering time played havoc due to which the pollination process got disrupted and mango fertilisation couldn’t happen. There were reports of shedding of the fruits in many places. This is the scenario in Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra. We believe that overall mango production in the country will fall.”
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