BENGALURU: Here’s some good news for mango lovers. Year 2023 is expected to be a bumper season for mango harvest. Reason: There was reduced rain in November in the state’s regions where mangoes are grown. The less rainfall helps in flowering of the fruit. Last year, rain in December had damaged the flowers.
Karnataka is one of the top mango growing states in the country, with at least 1.7 lakh hectares in 16 districts used for cultivating the fruit. It is widely grown in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Dharwad, Belagavi, Haveri, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara districts.
S V Hittalmani, Additional Director of Horticulture, said flowering started in Ramanagara and Bengaluru Rural region in November. It will begin in Haveri and Dharwad regions by December-end, and by January and February, Kolar and Chikkaballapur pockets will begin to flower.
“Fortunately, there has been no rain since November, unlike last year. Farmers face blossom blight disease due to moisture, which turns the flowers black. So, we have recommended some measures which include spraying of pesticides,” he said.
Officials hope for 12L tonnes harvest next year
“As there is no rain forecast for the next few weeks, it is likely to help farmers get a better harvest. Year 2023 will be an ‘on’ year,” Hittalmani said. The flowering has already begun in some of these regions and we can expect the first crop by March-end. In Kolar and Dharwad regions, the crop is harvested in April and May. But it also depends on when the flowering begins.
Horticulture department officials are hoping to get at least 12 lakh tonnes of mangoes in 2023. Since it is an ‘on’ year, 80 per cent of the flowering will become fruit. “Kolar region is 3,000 metres above sea level and usually flowers late when compared to other regions. These pockets are vulnerable to summer showers and hailstorms that could damage the crop. Despite this, we hope for better yield this year,” he said.