This summer is likely to leave a sour taste in the mouths of many mango lovers in West Bengal, as the king of fruits is expected to be costlier by nearly 30-50 per cent due to lower production. Harvest in Malda will probably be considerably lower this year due to unfavourable weather conditions, say locals.
After several years, the mango crop of Malda is in trouble. Due to unsuitable weather, the growers here are worried. According to reports, the production of mangoes is going to see a dip of at least one lakh metric tonnes in the district.
If the weather conditions deteriorate in the coming days, the damage may deepen. And the market price of mangoes may go beyond the reach of the common man.
In Bengal, the maximum mangoes are supplied from the orchards of Malda. But cultivation has always been dependent on nature. This time the long winter has affected the mango buds. And every summer, there is some damage to the crops due to the typical ‘kalbaisakhi’ storms and hailstorms.
Mangoes have been cultivated on 33,450 hectares in Malda this year. That is a growth of about three hundred hectares compared to 2021.
However, according to the state horticulture department, mango production in Malda last year was 3,70,000 metric tonnes. This year, both mango buds and farming appear quite low.
Meanwhile, the first storm and partial hailstorm of the season happened recently in Ratua, Manikchak, Gajol, Ingraj Bazar, and Kaliachawk blocks of Malda. As a result, mango farming is likely to go down by another seven to eight per cent. In this situation, the horticulture department fears that this year’s mango produce in Malda may drop to about 2.5 lakh metric tonnes.
In the last two years, the mango business in Malda has been battered by the Covid crisis. And this year farming has dropped drastically. Fuel prices have also risen considerably, pushing up the expenses on mango export. The growers, naturally, are worried and are even urging the government for compensation.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment