Maharashtra: Unseasonal rain in Konkan worries mango farmers

Farmers said the rain has led to the mango flower decaying and turning black. File pic

Mango supply this coming summer may get hit as the recent spell of rain in Konkan this week has led to damages to the farms. The weather department has announced that there is a low-pressure zone in the Konkan belt which may lead to further rain. Farmers told mid-day that if rainfall continues, there might be a shortage of mangoes.

Vinayak Ketkar, who owns a mango farm at Chiplun, said, "The unwanted rain has damaged the farm and if it continues, then the impact will be bad. Rain leads to worms which damage the crops. Mango trees bloom during winter, which generally starts after Diwali, but this year winter has not set in yet. On top of that, the rain has left an impact. So far, we have lost 10 per cent of mangoes, as per our estimate."

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"However, there are chances of more mor [mango flower] developing late this year as winter is delayed. So, we hope to get mangoes ready in April," he added. Manoj Ghatkar, owner of a farm in Sawantwadi, said, "Mor are turning black. We will have to use pesticide to prevent worms. We generally use pesticide only after mangoes develop. This means we will have to do it twice this year, increasing cost." "We hope to get new mor soon and we expect to get good quality mangoes. However, it entirely depends on the weather," he added.