BENGALURU: Mangoes, season’s favourite fruit, has had an unfruitful season this year, leaving farmers disappointed. While some farmers are worried about being able to fulfil the supply-demand parity for mangoes at the Mango Mela being hosted from Thursday, at Lalbagh in Bengaluru, some other traders are upset that their mango variety isn’t given due credit, and they did not get stalls in the mela.
The yield this year was poor due to many factors including water scarcity, insufficient moisture, and intense heat. This has significantly impacted the business this year, lamented many farmers.
Lingaraju, a mango seller, told TNIE, “Although mangoes are a seasonal favourite, and customers generally enjoy them even if the prices are slightly high, this year, the yield was not great. Owing to the climate conditions, fruits did not ripe evenly, spoiling a lot the fruits in the process. Customers are not very hopeful of the mango varieties this year,” he said.
Ramakrishna, another trader from Tumakuru said that this year, the sellers are more and the yield is less. “Everyone wants to make profit from the same variety of mangoes. Authorities hosting the Mango Mela know the condition of the yield this year. They should have expanded the stalls, and should have worked out a plan that would ultimately be beneficial for all,” he said.
“Once the mela begins, sales get diverted since customers believe they will find the best variety at discounted rates, and often purchase in bulk. But what about us who are not given the chance to set up shop in the Mango Mela?” he questioned.
Other traders also argued that only a fraction of the state’s farmers benefit from this mela hosted annually, as only farmers from a few specific region are predominantly given opportunities to sell their produce. The traders questioned the logic of hosting a fair when a bulk of mango production stems from just one region. “We travel from various districts to Bengaluru because of its larger consumer base. If our variant of mango is not prioritised here, where else can we turn?” questioned the farmers.
To boost local participation, the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) and the Horticulture Department had decided to give all stalls to farmers and traders from Karnataka only. There are close to 60 stalls in the mela, and all of them will be giving to Karnataka farmers. These stalls will also include about 15 varieties of jackfruit.