BHAWANIPATNA: Poor mango flowering in Kalahandi has emerged as a concern for fruit growers who apprehend a poor season going ahead.
Mango plantations spread over 10,885 hectare in the western district. This includes about 7,000 hectare having local varieties while the rest are hybrid and grafted categories.
Last year, the district saw a bumper harvest. Farmers went to the market directly; also through farmer producer groups and ORMAS. This helped them find good markets in north and central India, besides the local consumers in the state.
However, during the current year, poor flowering has caused apprehension among the farmers. In fact, a bumper harvest is recorded every alternate year and by that calculation, this is an off year. Adverse weather in pre-flowering stage helped good vegetation of leaves but led to poor flowering beyond expectation.
Srikanta Hota is a leading mango grower of M Rampur block and has orchards over 22 acre in Ainapali area. Last year, due to bumper and quality fruiting, he could sell 50 tonnes of mango, mostly to traders from UP. Other mango growers also made brisk sale. But Hota has apprehensions this season which has seen poor fruiting.
“Before flowering, dry period is suitable but due to adverse weather and unprecedented rain during December last, pre-flowering stage was adversely affected,” he said.
Deputy director, Horticulture Bhanuprasad Singha said there is about 20 per cent to 40 per cent flowering on an average except some exceptions. However, he informed that quality of existing mango crop is of good quality so far.
CEO of ORMAS George Kerketta, who could organise market for farmers in north India last year, is hopeful. Harvesting this year may be less in comparison but farmers will fetch a good price due to organised market network and demand from consumers in and from outside Odisha, he added.