Mangoes out of reach for commoners

Bangalore, June 11: 'The King of Fruits' has denied its connoisseurs and commoners alike the pleasure of savouring its mouth-watering taste, aroma and nutritional qualities, this summer.

Reduced yield and spiralling prices have resulted in mangoes, known as the tastiest fruit on earth, going out of reach of the common people.

The yield in Karnataka, the fourth largest producer of mangoes in the country, has dwindled to nearly half, owing to unseasonal rains during the flowering season in January. Unseasonal rains can harm the yield to a large extent as it can destroy the flowers.

Mango is grown in 1.2 lakh hectares in the State, with an annual production of seven to ten lakh metric tonnes. The cultivable area under mango in the country is 14 lakh hectares, producing 115 lakh metric tonnes a year. Andhra Pradesh is the highest producer with 22.7 lakh mt, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In Karnataka, apart from Kolar district, the largest producer of mangoes, the other major mango growing districts are Bangalore Urban and Rural, Tumkur, Hassan, Mandya and Mysore.

The price of mango is hovering around 30 to 40 per cent higher compared to last year when there was a bounty of mangoes following a bumper crop. This year, the arrivals in the wholesale market have remained low and it is yet to pick up, even though the supply is supposed to hit the peak during June.

According to Mr Bhimsena Bankad, General Manager of Hopcoms, a State-run cooperative which procures mangoes directly from growers and sells them to the public at reasonable rates, the crop failure is not really unexpected. ''The unseasonal rains always affect the crop. Usually, the quantum of mango crop varies every alternative season. When there is a bumper crop of mango during a particular year, like we had last year, the next year is bound to be a lean season and this is a general phenomena. There has been a drop of nearly 40 per cent in mango production in the State, compared to last season, with gales during the month of May destroying a part of the crop,'' he says.

Hopcoms Procurement and Marketing Manager B C Ananda feels it is always too much or too less when it comes to a mango season.

''Generally there will be a bounty one year and too less the next.

Actually mango grows well during one year, while it will be the turn of turmeric the next year. When mango grows more, there will be less yield of turmeric and vice versa.'' The price is ruling high mainly because of the reduced crop and compared to last year, it is being sold at nearly 35 per cent higher rates. 'Sendura', which is a cheap variety, is the first to hit the market during the season, which lasts from April to July. It is followed by Raspuri, Badami, Malgova and Mallika. Cheap varieties of Neelam and Totapuri come at the fag end of the season and are mainly used to make fruit pulp as they cost the lowest among all varieties.

Mango growers are hoping for a better price due to shortage of supply this season. However, their hopes have been dashed as they can hardly get ten per cent more than what they got last year. According to B Munivenkatappa of Vijayapura in Kolar district, which grows the highest quantity and best quality of mangoes in Karnataka, the yield is less as expected. But the farmer suffered has again due to low prices in the market. ''We are getting just Rs 12,000 per tonne of Raspuri, just Rs 2000 more than what I got last year. It is sold in retail at Rs 26 a kg. So who is getting this 60 per cent of the added cost? It is always the mediators and the sellers who corner the maximum profits. Everytime the growers and the consumers are the ones who suffer,'' he says.

However, Sheik Rehman, a mango seller for over 40 years, begs to differ. He claims he makes only Rs three to four a kg after taking into consideration high transport cost and wastage. ''Please do not think the rates are out of reach of the poor people. I have mangoes for everyone, whether it is a bumper season or not,'' he says.

Nevertheless, it is a disappointing season for Mrs Padmavathi, who remembers how she used to enjoy eating mangoes as a school going girl about 30 years ago. ''Despite his modest income, my father, who was a school teacher, used to stock up to 50 kg of mangoes at home during the season. This year, I can afford to buy this fruit, which is my favourite, only in small quantities. Last year, I took home five kg of mangoes every week during the season. This time, this is only the second time I am buying it, though the season is already two months old,'' she says, reminiscing.

The prices of other varieties are also ruling high by up to 30 to 35 per cent. Premium varieties like Badami and Malgova is selling at Rs 40 and Rs 36 respectively, while Mallika is being sold at Rs 30.

Only Baiganpalli (Rs 18 to 20) and Sendura (Rs 15) is in the reach of the common man.

UNI