Huge blow for mango farmers in Muthalamada; Mango City suffers loss of 390 crore

PALAKKAD: Mango City suffered a loss of Rs 390 crore during this mango season, reminding farmers not to yearn after viewing mango flowers! The farmers of Muthalamada, the first producer of mangoes in the country, got only 10 per cent of their mangoes this time in January and February, when they get the highest prices.

This season's total mango yield was barely 40% due to heat waves and unexpected rainfall. At a time when international market prices were high, the number of mangoes decreased by 60%. Mango City usually has a turnover of around 650 crores during peak production.

Mango flowering was delayed by two months due to the delay in the rains. Harvesting happens 90 days after the flowering. The temperature was 40 degrees in Muthalamada for 60 days. The tender mangoes fell in the hot sun. Micronutrients and water should be supplied adequately to prevent the shedding of tender mangoes. Drastic water shortages made irrigation impossible. This had an impact on mango production as well as size and quality.

North Indian traders travelled to states like Maharashtra, Andhra, and Tamil Nadu to purchase mangoes as a result of campaigns claiming that the quality of the fruit in Muthalamada was poor. Farmers in Muthalamada consequently did not obtain the price they'd received in prior years.

Mangoes cultivated on 10,000 acres
Mangoes are cultivated on 10,000 acres in Muthalamada and surrounding panchayats like Kollengode, Elevancherry and Pattanchery. There are 80 mango trees per acre. A total of eight lakh mango trees. About 35 varieties of mangoes are cultivated here. More than ten thousand people are working here as farmers, traders and labourers.