Scorching temperatures have spoiled mango crops, causing production in Tamil Nadu's mango hub, Krishnagiri, to drop by 50 per cent this summer.
The harvesting of mangoes is likely to drastically dip from 1.5 million tonnes last year to a meagre 700,000 tonnes this summer. In Krishnagiri, mangoes, largely the Tottapuri or the Bengalura variety, are cultivated on 400,000 acres of orchards. While 300,000 acres of mango farms come under the rain-fed cultivation, another 100,000 is grown with irrigated water.
When the mango trees started flowering in January and February, the farmers were hopeful of a bumper crop. But the heat wave and complete lack of rains in the last two months have led to immature falling of small mangoes.
However, the mango production at the irrigated farms has not been affected. But the farmers are upset because they will not get a reasonable price for their produce; 70 per cent of the mango pulping units are not functioning because of no export orders.
According to a mango pulping unit owner, K.Pugalenthi, “Only 30 units will resume production among 100 units in Krishnagiri.”
“Most of the units have been closed due to restrictions imposed by the buyers, including the Middle East countries. The exporters are ready to buy only if the commodity is packed in the ACEPTIC containers,” says Pugalenthi.
But each unit needs to invest around Rs.100 million for introducing ACEPTIC packing technology.
(1 Indian Rupee=0.015 USD)
Source: http://deccanchronicle.com/
