Blaming it on poor flowering, diseases and erratic water supply, the mango growers said only 25% of the expected produce from Malihabad is likely to get into the market. Gorging on your favourite summer fruit could be dearer this season as the mango crop in Malihabad belt has recorded an all-time low produce. Blaming it on poor flowering, diseases and erratic water supply, the mango growers said only 25% of the expected produce from Malihabad is likely to get into the market. While Uttar Pradesh produces around 45 lakh metric tons of mangoes every year, Malihabad alone contributes around 7 lakh metric tons. “We were expecting a good crop this year; poor flowering, diseases and erratic water supply has played a spoilsport here in Malihabad. We are hoping that only 25% of the total produce expected will be market-ready,” said Insram Ali, president, All India Mango Growers’ Association (AIMGA). “Also, the crop is also likely to be delayed for around 20 days and will hit market not before June 20,” added Ali. Two years back the state’s prime mango belts, including Malihabad, had witnessed the record production of Dusheri mangoes. “The low produce will also push up the prices of the mango,” said Ali while talking to HT. “Crop is poor this time, which was not at all expected. We are left with no choice but to hope for the best,” said Mohammed Miyan, a mango grower in Mallihabad mango belt where a total of 23,589 hectares of land is engaged in mango farming. Miyan said in January the crop saw profuse flow, which though was unseasonal but a good sign. “It gave us hope that the crop this year is going to be as good as last year’s. But the hope dashed as the flowering began to shed from February onwards,” he said. Some mango growers also blamed the state government’s apathetic attitude towards the mango growers. We don’t have a status of a farmer. Our crops are not insured and we do not get any subsidy from the government on pesticides,” said a mango grower. Some mango growers along with the members of the AIMGA have approached the state government demanding that mango crop be covered under the prime minister’s crop insurance scheme. In UP, mango is produced in an area of 2.5 lakh hectares. Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Allahabad, Bulandshahar,Saharanpur, Faizabad, Varanasi, Moradabad, Barabanki, Meerut, Unnao, Sitapur, Hardoi, Gorakhpur, Basti, JP Nagar and Mathura are the major mango producing belts. Popular varieties such as ‘Chausa’, ‘Dusheri’, ‘Fazli’, ‘Gulab Khas’, ‘Langra’, ‘Mallika’ and ‘Amrapali’ are produced in the state. Source - https://www.hindustantimes.com/