Heavy rainfall across parts of Karnataka this year may delay mango flowering, creating uncertainty for growers in key producing regions.
Mango flowering typically occurs between November and December in Ramanagara, Channapatna, Dharwad, and other northern districts, while in the Kolar district, responsible for about 70% of Karnataka's annual production, it usually begins in January or February. The Kolar region has received normal rainfall, and flowering there is expected to proceed as usual.
In contrast, sustained rainfall in other mango-growing areas has increased soil moisture, which may postpone flowering and push harvests back by several weeks. As a result, mangoes from multiple districts could reach markets simultaneously after March, affecting growers in Kolar who also begin harvesting around that time.
Karnataka produces about 1.1 million tons of mangoes annually on 139,000 hectares. Roughly 400,000 tons are sold directly to consumers, while around 700,000 tons are used by processing industries for juice, jam, pickles, and pulp. The variation in flowering seasons across districts ensures mango availability over several months, but the current delay could compress market arrivals.
Raja Reddy, a mango grower from Srinivasapura in Kolar district, said, "The Kolar region received normal rainfall this year. There will be no change in the flowering pattern. It will happen in January-February, and mangoes ripen by May." He added that rainfall in other regions might cause delayed flowering, potentially leading to overlapping harvests and downward pressure on prices. "We may see mangoes from across the state arriving in markets at the same time. Moreover, the likelihood of an on-season may help growers harvest a bumper crop. Excess production may not be good news for growers as prices naturally come down," he said.
Srinivasa Reddy, a grower from Malur, noted that export challenges may further impact growers. "Last year, many companies could not export mango pulp to Europe and other countries as expected due to the conflicts in West Asia. Some companies still have pulp stocks, and they may not buy more mangoes. This may also affect the growers," he said.
Mango cultivation in Karnataka has expanded beyond Kolar and Ramanagara to include Koppal, Dharwad, and Belagavi, among others. However, growers remain concerned about market access. The Andhra Pradesh government, which operates an agri-economic zone for pulp-making companies, earlier imposed restrictions on mango imports from Karnataka. "We have to depend on AP's pulp-making firms. If the AP government imposes a ban on mangoes from Karnataka, we may have to dump our mangoes on the streets," said Mahesh PN, a mango grower from Kolar.
Source: The New Indian Express
