Mango output may fall 40% on bad weather

MANGO production in South India may see a 35-40% drop this year. While warm nights have delayed the flowering in Andhra Pradesh, the biennial nature of the crop can impact production in neighbouring Karnataka. Among the southern states, only Tamil Nadu is expected to have a nearnormal crop this year. The three states together produce 35-40% of India's 10-million tonne annual mango output. 

    "Mango orchards in Andhra Pradesh should have witnessed flowering in December /January, but it has been delayed as night temperatures remained high during these two months. We need night temperature to be around 15-17 degrees, but it was in the range of 18-22 degrees, which impacted flowering in the Chittoor belt," an industry expert told ET. 
    Chittoor, which accounts for 12-13% of Andhra Pradesh's mango production, is home to a large number of mango-pulping units which rely on the locally-grown Totapuri variety. Totapuri accounts for 60% of Andhra Pradesh's mango output. Pulping industry sources say while flowering has been delayed, rising temperature even before summers has had an adverse impact on the production. 
    In neighbouring Karnataka, it's a slightly different story. Sources said the biennial nature of the mango crop could result in a sizeable drop in the output. 
    "In CY2009, the state's production was close to 8 lakh tonne while this year it could be about 2-2.5 lakh tonnes. Unseasonal rains either during the last week of February, or early March, could play spoilsport," sources in Karnataka's horticulture department told ET. 
    However, producers in Tamil Nadu appear upbeat about the prospects. "We are witnessing flowering in all the key-growing districts — be it Salem, Krishnagiri or Hosur. The state should be on track to produce 7-8 lakh tonne after factoring in the normal crop loss of about 5-7% due to disease or pest attack," a leading grower said. 
    Traders who have been keeping track of the flowering in mango orchards in both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka say while it's too early to comment on the price movement, retail buyers would in all probability have to spend at least 25-30% more compared to the past year. India is the world's largest mango producer accounting for over half of the global output.