Why is it more durable to seek out nice mangoes this 12 months?

Nirupama Reddy’s cellphone has been ringing non cease for the reason that first week of April. Friends and clients are consistently enquiring concerning the arrival of Banganapalli mangoes from her family-owned farm at Othivakkam, close to Chengalpet. “The mango season has had a delayed start this year, and yield has been much lesser due to incessant rains during the flowering season. On our farm, mangoes will be ready for harvesting only by the first week of June [two months later than usual]. Which is why our customers have been anxiously calling us,” she says.

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At her Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms, the yield has been drastically hit. Normally, they harvest 60 tonnes of fruit in the course of the season, however this 12 months they’re uncertain of getting even 10 tonnes. The state of affairs is similar in farms throughout the state, unable to satiate the same old demand for mangoes within the months of May and June.

Nevertheless Hanu Reddy Farms can be re-launching its Great Mango Festival to reconnect with clients, inviting households to their farm to spend a day harvesting mangoes, enjoying conventional video games, taking bullock cart rides and sampling conventional meals served on a 150 foot-long wood desk. (The occasion is slated for June 11 and 12, 18 and 19, between 6 am and 12 midday.)

Srinivasan Jayapal, of Salem Mangoes, noticed lower than 50 % yield this 12 months, and provides that farmers who tried to salvage injury by sprinkling pesticides couldn’t put it aside as a result of rains. “We procure mangoes from farmers in Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Erode. As the supply is lesser, the cost has doubled this year and so people are buying less.” He provides that high quality has been affected as effectively, “The sweetness in mango is much less. In our region it is Nadusalai, pether, imam pasand, Salem Gundu, Salem Bengalura, Kudaadath and malgova that are most popular.”

“We enjoyed an abundance of supply last year with an extraordinary taste and sweetness, but this year, it is just the opposite,” says Divya Pamuru of Chennai-based Namma Suvai, which helps natural and sustainable farming. “Rain affected the flowering. Then, the recent rains damaged the fruits just before harvest, which makes them rot quickly,” she says, including, “Whatever fruits we got this year, the taste is compromised. Premium varieties such as Imam pasand and malgova are of even lesser yield.”

All about timing

Manjula Gandhi Rooban, founder and CEO, Mangopoint, says that in addition to weather conditions, one other issue that affected mangoes this 12 months was a hurried mango harvest by some farmers. “Mango harvesting is to be done with utmost care. We source our mangoes from in and around Thiruvallur district, where we ask farmers to harvest with the three-centimeter stem intact, or else we refuse to buy. The milk that oozes out of the stem can affect shelf life,” she explains.

Thiruvallur district can be residence to the 150-acred Reddy’s Organic Farm, in Anaipakkam village. The farm’s proprietor Sanga Reddy says he too prefers to attend until the mangoes start to ripen within the timber, earlier than harvesting. Soon after the harvest, he sends dispatches to natural retailers in Chennai. He additionally makes and sells mango pulp, along with mozzarella cheese produced from native cow’s milk, goat milk cheese, and the area’s signature vaikuntam samba rice.

This summer time, Sanga is now banking on the truth that at his farm, guests can spend a day and benefit from the farm life. “We provide breakfast and lunch and families can spend time observing farm activities and take a dip in the pool. Mango and cheese tasting are also included in the package,” says Sanga Reddy.

Prasanna Venkatarathinam, co-founder of Mangopoint, says that hardly 5 % of mangoes could possibly be graded export high quality this 12 months. “This district has over 9,000 hectares of mango groves and yields more than 50,000 metric tonnes of mangoes every year. This the second largest mango growing belt in India next to Uttar Pradesh. First grade mangoes are earmarked for export and our domestic online customers,” he provides.

Mango prepared for harvest
| Photo Credit: particular association

At their packhouse and storage facility in Thiruvallur, 10 ladies from the close by villages are employed for laundry, grading, sorting and packing of mangoes, which can be usually despatched to the US, Singapore and elements of Europe. With this operation hit arduous this 12 months, the workforce is shifting focus.

The second and third-grade yield — which is the majority of this 12 months’s produce — is being put to different makes use of. “We also have a solar drying facility at our packhouse, where we dehydrate mangoes and vacuum pack them. We also offer mango pulp, mango muesli, mango energy bars and mango sauce and jams,” says Prasanna.

“As we had a late start, we are hopeful that the mango season will last a little longer, say until the end of July, but the varieties available would also be less. The arrival of Rumani indicates the end of mango season,” says Manjula. Until then, there may be nonetheless some enjoyable available.