Climate change has disturbed the flowering cycle of mango seeds, which is likely to impact production in the coming months, said reports.
Mango trees are expected to start flowering from January 15 and last until February 15. By March, the tree starts bearing unripe fruits and in April and May, the mango season is in full swing.
However, farmers in Mysore have noticed inconsistencies in the flower initiation process, with the late arrival of flowers delaying harvest. This is the result of climate change and unseasonal rains in the region, Star of Mysore reported. Unseasonal rains have lashed mango-producing areas in Mysore since October.
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"Dry and cold weather is necessary for mango flowers to blossom," K V Nagaraju, chairperson of Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Ltd, told Deccan Herald earlier.
A delay in flowering may hit the production period that will overlap with the rainy season. Rains during the fruiting seasons may cause mangoes to get infested with flies, germs, and bacteria, which could damage the crop. As a result, procuring the delicious fruit may become challenging and an expensive affair.
Last year, mango yields were also impacted due to a delay in flowering. Growers said the production has been declining since 2016 due to the lack of rain.
In the Mysore district, mango is grown on 4,500 hectares of land. Last year, the region yielded around 15 lakh tonne of the fruit, which is likely to go down to 7 to 8 lakh tonne this year, the Star of Mysore report said.
Meanwhile, farmers in Bengal's Malda region are seeing early blooming of buds despite the raging winter season. Mango buds in the region start appearing from February, but most orchards in the district saw buds arriving in January this year, ETV Bharat reported. However, the District Horticulture and Food Processing Department is optimistic that with proper care, these buds can give an early yield.
"We are in touch with the farmers to protect the buds in advance," Samant Layek, deputy director of the District Horticulture and Food Processing Department in Malda, told ETV Bharat.
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