Months of severe drought conditions hit Mango, Jackfruit yield; shortage in supply

Mysore/Mysuru: One is hailed as the ‘King’ and the other revered as the ‘Sultan’ of fruits, and both grace the summer season, much to the delight of people eagerly awaiting to savour their succulent flavours.

Yes, you guessed it right. We’re talking about mangoes and jackfruits. However, the markets are still awaiting their arrival. Though a few shops offer mangoes, jackfruits seem to be scarce in the market or localities.

With the State grappling with severe drought this year, not only farmers cultivating sugarcane, paddy and other crops are bearing the brunt, but also those who own mango groves and jackfruit orchards. Traditionally, by this time, Mysuru would host jackfruit and mango melas. However, there are no signs of them yet due to the decreased harvest this season.

Persistent heat causes flower drop: Although flowering was delayed this year, farmers remained optimistic about achieving an average yield. However, their expectations were dashed by the onset of extreme heat conditions. Typically occurring from December to January, this year witnessed only a 10-15 percent flowering during that period. It wasn’t until February that flowering flourished across all trees. Unfortunately, as the time for fruit setting approached, flowers began to drop due to the persistent heat.

Despite hopeful anticipation, the much-needed rain failed to materialise, leaving farmers in a precarious situation. Mangoes and jackfruits are cultivated across approximately 3,000 hectares in the Mysuru region, primarily in Mysuru, H.D. Kote, Periyapatna and Nanjangud taluks.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Manjunath Angadi, Deputy Director of the Department of Horticulture, mentioned: “This year, the arrival of both fruits is delayed due to high temperatures and inadequate rainfall. However, we anticipate them to hit the market anytime soon.”

Jackfruit scarce too: During the summer season, one could typically encounter vendors selling jackfruits and mangoes along almost every main road. Farmers from neighbouring villages used to flock in large numbers, loaded with these fruits to sell in the market. However, this year, the farmers are yet to arrive with their produce.

“Despite our best efforts to obtain finest varieties of fruit, the yield has not been satisfactory. Though there was lack of rainfall, we have ensured that the trees receive sufficient water through tankers. We remain optimistic about achieving a good yield in the coming days as there are predictions of ample rainfall,” said Kalegowda, a farmer in H.D. Kote.

“In previous years, we would receive mangoes from villages surrounding Mysuru city by this time. However, we have not received as much as expected due to the decreased yield. We hope that the yield will improve so that mangoes become readily available in the market. This year, mango prices are notably higher compared to previous years,” remarked Suryakumar, Former President of Mysuru District Horticulture Produce Growers Co-operative Marketing & Processing Society Ltd.

Amidst uncertainty surrounding the mango supply to the market, the scheduling of the popular mango and jackfruit melas remains undecided. According to sources, the timing of these events will be determined based on the arrival of fruits from the growing regions.

Mango Prices in HOPCOMS

Badami – Rs. 140 per kg

Raspuri – Rs. 120 per kg

Totapuri – Rs. 40 per kg