ONGOLE: Though the regular seasonal mango crop brought losses to growers this year, the late-season Punasa variety has yielded considerable gains. From mid-August to end of September, nearly Rs 5 crore worth of business was achieved from Punasa mango stocks in Ulavapadu and Gudluru areas of the Kandukuru segment, Prakasam.
Farmers said the regular summer crop of Banginapalli, Rasaalu, Bengaluru and Neelam varieties failed to deliver profits. Later, the slightly delayed Punasa crop brought relief. In Ulavapadu and Gudluru mandals, more than 10,000 acres are under mango orchards, of which 4,000 acres are Punasa. Arriving in July and August, Punasa filled the gap left by summer varieties.
Prices fluctuated sharply this season. At the start, Punasa sold at Rs 40 per kg. By mid-August, prices rose to Rs 50 due to Onam demand in Kerala. In early September, they fell to Rs 35, sparking concern, before rebounding to Rs 70–75 in mid-September. For the past week, prices have hovered between Rs 55 and Rs 65. On average, 5–10 tonnes of Punasa mangoes are exported daily from Ulavapadu and Gudluru to Kerala, Chennai, Rajamahendravaram, Hyderabad, Nellore and other markets. The season is expected to continue for another 10–15 days. Market sources estimate sales worth Rs 5–5.5 crore so far, averaging about Rs 5 lakh a day.
Farmers Masthan and Srinu of Ulavapadu told TNIE on Sunday: “As our Punasa mangoes have no domestic market, we rely on Kerala and distant markets. Prices change every 10 days, cutting into profits.”