Mango growers in UP want institutional procurement to tide over lockdown

They also seek 24-hour power supply and want corrugated box units to function, so that packing material is easily available when dussehri is ready for harvest

With the prices of popular mango varieties of alphonso and kesar dwindling due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the growers of another famous variety, dussehri, have knocked at the doors of the Uttar Pradesh government for relief.

In a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mango Growers Association of India has demanded a slew of urgent measures to protect state mango farmers, on the lines of growers of alphonso and kesar varieties, which are primarily grown in Maharashtra and Gujarat, respectively, from economic losses.
 

“Alphonso, which normally sells for about Rs 1,500 a dozen, is currently selling at Rs 400-500 a dozen this year, owing to the slump in domestic and export demand. Traders are also facing irritants in transporting their produce to the market,” association President Insram Ali said.

He said kesar farmers were facing the same situation. “April is the peak season for kesar. But, fruit consignments are not reaching big markets, such as Delhi, and thus resulting in a loss.” In the letter, the association has noted the tough challenges being faced by mango growers in over a dozen mango belts in UP owing to the coronavirus crisis, apart from the loss from unseasonal rain and squall last month.
 

He claimed UP’s mango production, which is dominated by dussehri with an 80 per cent share, is estimated at almost 3.5 million tonnes (MT), down 12.5 per cent compared to more than 4 MT last year. 
 

Dussehri is India's largest mango variety.

The association has demanded the government procure mango just like paddy, wheat, and potato to insulate farmers from losses owing to the lockdown, disruption in movement of goods, and export market squeeze.

 

 

Besides, the growers' body has sought 24-hour power supply.

He also urged the state government to permit the functioning of corrugated box units, so that they were easily available when dussehri is ready for harvest and transportation from packing houses to markets.
 

Other demands of the association pertain to the kisan credit card interest subsidy, three-month power bill waiver, and special provision for the transportation of mango consignments across the country to big mandis during the peak seasons of June and July.

“In a normal season, mango growers, traders and exporters would start to get inquiries from big traders and importers by now. But this is missing this year owing to the lockdown and a freeze on international flights. We are, therefore, only concentrating on the domestic market to recoup our investment,” Ali said.

Prominent mango belts in the state include Lucknow (Lucknow, Malihabad, Bakshi-ka-Talaab), Saharanpur and Sambhal-Amroha-Muzaffarnagar districts. Apart from dussehri, other major state varieties comprise langda, chausa, amprapali, and mallika. Andhra Pradesh and UP collectively account for 40 per cent of India’s annual mango production, followed by Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

Last year, the domestic mango production stood at nearly 21.38 MT, while the advance estimates (AE) for 2019-20 suggest a nominal drop to 21.23 MT, although the acreage has increased over the same period.
 

UP mango is mainly exported to the Gulf countries, including Iran, the United Arab of Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, and Bangladesh. Mango varieties grown in south India, are usually shipped to Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore.
 

Although India is among the top mango producers, corresponding to 40 per cent of the global output, followed by China, Thailand, and Pakistan, a major portion of the fruit is domestically consumed and only a small quantity is exported. Pakistan, owing to its vicinity to the Gulf, has been giving a tough competition to India so far as mango shipments are concerned.