Untimely rains play havoc with mango crop

Anantapur: The mango crop was having a poor yield this season, a situation further complicated by the strong winds and untimely rains, which caused additional damage to the existing crops in the region during the peak stage.

The Banganagipalli variety rules the entire season with its export quality in the Kurnool area and other parts of Rayalaseema region. They were hit by whirlwinds and storms. Some Rs 25 lakh worth of crop was damaged due to the storms in Pappampalli village in Kalyandurg mandal on Saturday night.

Farmers K Mahesh and Neelakantappa from Papampalli were in tears after they developed a mango orchard on 30 acres and the crop was at peak stage for harvesting. There was massive damage to the crop due to heavy rains. Similarly, the crop was hit in Putlur mandal due to the storms.

In the YSR district, about 300 hectares of mango orchards were hit due to whirlwinds and storms in Sundupalle mandal on Sunday evening.

Horticulture official Naga Malleswara Reddy said the existing mango crop was badly damaged following the sudden change in climate. The farmers incurred huge losses in many parts of the region.

The traders assess that mango prices would go up because of the poor yield during the present season.  The Totapuri ( Bengaluru) variety and limited stocks of other mangoes were available in the retail markets. Normally, the Banganipalli variety rules the entire season. The prices may go up due to the present shortfall and the demand for the variety in the markets across the country, official said.