Mango may be out of reach of ‘aam aadmi’ this year

Lucknow, May 10 : Mango production in Uttar Pradesh is likely to see a 65 per cent drop this year due to frequent dust storms that have hit the crop hard and the king of fruits is likely to come at a royal price this year.
Mango growers estimate that the production could be just 15 lakh metric tonnes this year as compared to 44 lakh metric tonnes last year. “Last year, there was a record 44 lakh metric tonne production in the state. But this time, the situation is grim as production is likely to see a 65 per cent decline,” All India Mango Growers’ Association (AIMGA) President Insram Ali told PTI. He said the maximum yield this year in the state, considered the country’s mango bowl, could be just 15 lakh metric tonnes.
The reason behind the poor output is “strong humid winds” due to which mango growers had to double pesticide sprinkling to save the trees from pests, he said, adding that dust storms made the scenario more bleak for the growers. “Due to decline in production, the price of mangoes is likely to be high this time making it out of reach of the common man,” he said.
In Uttar Pradesh, mango is produced in an area of 2.5 lakh hectares. Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Allahabad, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, Faizabad, Varanasi, Moradabad, Barabanki, Meerut, Unnao, Sitapur, Hardoi, Gorakhpur, Basti, JP Nagar and Mathura are the major mango-producing belts in the state.Popular varieties like chausa, dushehri, fazli, gulab khas, langra, mallika and amrapali are produced in the state.Due to the anticipated poor production, the AIMGA has demanded that mango be covered under the prime minister’s crop insurance scheme.“The state government has started waiving loans of farmers but no such arrangement has been done for mango-growers. We have written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to give mango-growers the status of farmers,” Insram said.