Climate vagaries mar global foray of Bengaluru mangoes

BENGALURU: Fluctuating mercury levels, inclement weather and unseasonal rain in the past couple of years have shattered the dreams of building a global brand for 'Bengaluru mangoes'.
Overcoming several challenges, farmers from Bengaluru region - which produces 60% of Karnataka's mangoes - had toiled hard for almost a decade to make a foray into global markets. But just when it was time for their efforts to bear fruit, back-to-back catastrophic climatic conditions have shattered their dreams.
Buoyed by the copious flower bloom in December-January, Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation (KSMDMC) had estimated yield of 12-14 lakh tonnes. However, what unfolded from February to April has brought tears to mango farmers. The sudden spike in temperature, unseasonal rain and increased humidity wiped out nearly half the yield, with technical officers at KSMDMC now putting it at 7-8 lakh tonnes. "It is disastrous for farmers in the region for the third consecutive year. The rain has struck exactly at the time of harvest and crashed the dreams of many," said CG Nagaraju, joint director of horticulture and MD of KSMDMC. "Sudden rain and high moisture content triggered fungus infection, and a sharp temperature spike has led to withering of the flowers."
While a few farmers withstood those adversities with double sprays of fungicide, the recent hailstorms and thunderstorms resulted in fruit fall. "While markets continue to face a dearth of mangoes, only those farmers finding direct market opportunities in apartments and housing societies have made profit," explained a technical cell officer of KSMDMC.
On Tuesday, the government revealed that horticultural crops on 10,067 hectares, including mangoes, have been wiped out because of pre-monsoon thundershowers.
"About 60% of the crop has been wiped out on 1.6 lakh hectares. This has affected sales and export activities. While there is a great demand for Bengaluru mangoes, especially in the US, UK, west Asia and Japan, production is very low. The crop in Dharwad region has also been hit severely. We are catering to the global demand from a few patches in Koppal and Ramanagara districts," Nagaraju said.
When air turns hostile
Detailed observation by experts has revealed that the salubrious condition for cultivation is fast changing around Bengaluru. "The city is witnessing a constant increase in temperature, which is affecting flowering and fruiting. In the case of balanced mercury levels, moisture has resulted in widespread fungus infection followed by a sharp increase in temperature and downpour, causing huge losses. This has been the trend for four years. While the two years of the pandemic affected sales, now climatic conditions are wiping out Bengaluru mangoes," said Nagaraju.