Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region, prices shoot up

Inadequate rain impacts mango production in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri, leading to a 40% price increase in Salem market.

Inadequate rain in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts in the past one year has impacted mango production in the region, and the price of mangoes has gone up by 40 % in the Salem market.

Arrival of mangoes starts in mid-March every year and continues for more than three months. The arrivals reach a peak in April and May, bringing down the prices. However, this year, the prices are up as arrivals are lesser than last year.

S. Sivaguru of the Krishnagiri District Mango Farmers’ Association said that mango was cultivated on just 10,000 hectares this year in the district, as against the usual 35,000 hectares. This had brought down the daily harvest to 10-15 tonnes compared with 100 tonnes.

The mango farmers in Krishnagiri district are facing challenges for the last three years due to pest attack. They faced additional problems last year due to inadequate rain and shortage in water availability. Those who had borewells on their farms were able to manage, he said.

As of now, mango varieties such as Alphonso and Sindura are the main arrivals and the prices have doubled. For instance, farmers used to sell Alphonso for ₹ 60 a kg and Sendura for ₹ 40 a kg to the traders. This year, the prices are up 100 %.

Mr. Sivaguru said that there were no rain in Krishnagiri district for almost five months now and the crops would be lost if the situation continued. The mango growers are incurring a loss of ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 1.5 lakh an acre due to drought. The State government should focus on water management to save the farmers in the district, he said.

According to J. Srinivasan, a wholesale mango trader in Salem, arrival of mangoes to the Salem market has dropped to 10 tonnes a day compared with 100 tonnes earlier. So there was a steep hike in prices and it is expected to impact sales, he said.