The vagaries of the weather will continue to impact mango yield in the state for the third consecutive year. Untimely rain in December and excess heat in February have adversely impacted flowering and fruit setting. Farmers were expecting a good yield this year after low yields in the last two years. However, senior officials in the Horticulture Department and the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) said that the state might get only 70 per cent of mango yield this season.
Mangoes are grown in over 160,000 hectares in Karnataka. In a normal year, 1.4 mln tons of yield is expected. But due to the withering of flowers between December and February, around 1 mln tons of mango harvest is expected. Last year, farmers had cultivated mangoes on 130,000 hectares of land but could harvest only 700,000 to 800,000 tons. The average yield of mangoes in the state in the last five years is 1.2 mln tons.
Source: deccanherald.com