Gujarat's mango produce faced a loss of up to 35% due to unseasonal rain
A sudden change in weather conditions has taken a toll on mango crops that were ready for harvest across the farms of South Gujarat and Saurashtra. The state government's horticulturists estimate a crop loss of up to 35 percent in the Alphonso and Kesar varieties grown in these regions.
At the height of summer, thunderstorms accompanied by high-speed winds struck on Monday and Tuesday, causing pre-ripened fruit to fall from trees, leading to significant losses for mango farmers.
Teams from the Gujarat horticulture department, in coordination with the agricultural department and gram sevaks, began a survey from Wednesday onwards to assess the damage caused by the unseasonal weather. On Wednesday, teams comprising agriculture department officials and gram sevaks at the village level began conducting surveys in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and Bharuch. The survey is expected to take around five days, officials said.
According to sources in the horticulture department, around 30 to 35 percent of the mango crop may have been damaged in South Gujarat.
In South Gujarat, mangoes are mainly cultivated in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and parts of Bharuch. In Saurashtra, they are grown in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, and Amreli, with Kachchh's Kesar variety among the last to be harvested., Mango farming spans approximately one lakh hectares in South Gujarat and around 42,000 hectares in Saurashtra, according to the state horticulture department. Last year, yields in South Gujarat ranged from 4 to 4.25 tonnes per hectare, while in Saurashtra it was slightly higher.
The unseasonal weather on Monday and Tuesday brought strong winds and light showers to several areas in South Gujarat – including Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, and Dangs — as well as parts of Saurashtra. Mango farmers in Saurashtra have already started harvesting fruit early to prevent further damage, say sources.
Dinesh Paladiya, Joint Director of the Horticulture Department (Surat range), told The Indian Express, 'In South Gujarat, mango is cultivated on close to one lakh hectares—over 36,000 hectares in Valsad, 33,000 hectares in Navsari, 15,000 hectares in Surat, and the remaining in Bharuch district. The major variety is Kesar, accounting for around 60 percent, while Alphonso covers about 30 percent. Other varieties include Dasheri, Langda, Rajapuri, and Totapuri. Alphonso is primarily grown in Valsad. Over 70,000 farmers in South Gujarat are involved in mango cultivation, and Alphonso and other varieties from here are exported to Western countries.'
He added, 'On Monday and Tuesday, due to high-speed winds and showers, mangoes that were ready for harvest fell to the ground. The damage assessment will be clearer after the survey. Harvesting had already begun in some areas and was expected to peak in mid-May. While production figures for this year are yet to be confirmed, we estimate losses of 30 to 35 percent due to the adverse weather.'
Bhupendra Tandel, a research scientist at Aspee College of Horticulture under Navsari Agricultural University, said, 'Farmers in Navsari have reported an unusually high number of male flowers compared to female flowers in mango orchards this season. Experienced growers can spot the difference, but we conduct awareness programs for newer farmers. Male flowers do not bear fruit.'
He continued, 'We also cultivate mangoes on our institutional farms. Due to Tuesday's high-speed winds, over 50 percent of the ready-to-harvest fruit fell from trees and were damaged. Traders can easily identify fallen fruit, and they usually refuse to buy it. Such fruit is only used to make mango pulp by processing units in Surat, Navsari, and Valsad.'
Tandel noted, 'Mango fruit is highly sensitive to climate. When daytime temperatures exceed 34 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures drop to around 13 degrees Celsius, male flowers outnumber female flowers.'
Speaking to The Indian Express, R H Ladani, Joint Director of the horticulture department (Rajkot range), said, 'After receiving forecasts of light showers and strong winds, we alerted mango growers in Saurashtra, who began harvesting early. About 80 percent of mango cultivation here is Kesar; the rest are other varieties. We will also begin a crop damage survey soon.'
Dashrat Desai, a 60-year-old mango farmer from Valsad, said, 'May marks the start of mango harvesting. I've been farming mangoes for 30 years, and this year's unseasonal weather, with strong winds, caused over 40 percent of the fruit to fall before harvesting. I grow Alphonso and Kesar on 70 acres, with about 4,000 trees. I had invested heavily expecting a good yield. Now, those fallen mangoes are useless. Even pulp factories have slashed their rates from Rs 1,600 per ton to Rs 350-400 per ton.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Indian Express
Pumps with IoT sensors: How BMC is planning to tackle waterlogging in Mumbai
With the May 26 flooding serving as a wake-up call, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to install Internet of Things (IoT) sensors on the dewatering pumps being set up in low-lying areas in the island city. Every year, ahead of the monsoon, the civic body identifies low-lying areas and installs dewatering pumps there. This year, the BMC has installed 514 pumps across locations in the island city as well as the suburbs. These pumps channel out the accumulated water from a particular area to the nearby drainage outlets and creeks. On May 26, following a heavy spell of rain, Mumbai almost came to a standstill due to waterlogging. Civic officials attributed this to the non-functionality of a majority of the water pumps. 'Last year, in one such incident at Mumbai's Chunabhatti, we saw that despite pumps being installed in a particular area, there was huge flooding. Later, during our investigation, we found out that the pumps were fully ready, but the contractor responsible for operating the pumps did not turn them on, and this led to severe waterlogging in the area. Therefore, as a preventive measure against such incidents, we are installing sensors in the dewatering pumps,' Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Projects, told The Indian Express. The IoT sensors will be motion-based and will be installed on the belts of the pumps. These belts record a high-speed motion whenever a pump is turned on, and the sensors will be able to detect when a pump is switched on from the motion of the belt. Close to the pump, a receptor will be placed by the civic authorities, which will record the signals sent by the sensor. This receptor will transmit the recorded data from the sensor, which will have IoT chips in it, and transmit the data to the civic body's war room. 'The sensors are motion-based devices. They will record the time when the pump is switched on and will transmit information about the entire duration for which the pump operates. So, for example, if rainfall starts at 11 am, we can clearly identify when the operator has switched on the pump and whether he did that on time. Any delay in operation will be caught as a result…these pumps will also increase accountability amongst the contractors,' Bangar added. Officials said that by the end of this week, sensors will be installed in as many as 100 pumps and by the end of the next few weeks, the numbers will be augmented.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Monsoon to arrive in Bengal in 2 days; IMD issues orange alert for South Bengal on June 17, 18
Written by Debasmita Chowdhury, The Southwest Monsoon is expected to reach parts of West Bengal within the next two days, bringing much-needed relief from the prevailing pre-monsoon heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several South Bengal districts for June 17 and 18. 'Residents of West Bengal can look forward to the arrival of monsoon rains, crucial for agriculture and replenishing water resources,' said an official. According to the latest update, the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) is currently passing through Veraval, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, and Balurghat, signalling its approach toward the state. South Bengal is likely to witness moderate to heavy rain and thundershowers across all districts from June 16 to 23. The most intense rainfall is expected during the first three days, particularly June 17 and 18. The IMD has issued orange alerts for South 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, and Birbhum for heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) on June 17 and 18. Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur are under heavy rain warnings (7-11 cm) for the same period. North Bengal is also under active monsoon influence, with light to moderate rain and thunderstorms forecast across Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Malda from June 17 to 21. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar on June 19. Day temperatures in the Sub-Himalayan region are expected to remain stable over the next five days. Yellow alerts for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) have been issued for Purba Medinipur, Uttar Dinajpur, and South 24 Parganas. Kolkata is likely to experience light to moderate rain and thundershowers throughout the week, with heavy rain alerts (7-11 cm) in place for June 17 and 18. Thunderstorm activity with gusty winds and lightning is also forecast for the first three days of the week. On Monday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 31.9 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 27.7 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels reaching 91 percent. A mostly cloudy sky with intermittent rain is expected to provide some respite from the summer heat. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a coastal warning for June 17 and 18. Squally weather with surface winds reaching 30-40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph, is expected along the West Bengal-Odisha coast. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea during this period. Debasmita Chowdhury is an intern at The Indian Express
Scroll.in
12-06-2025
- Scroll.in
Heatwave warning in Delhi till June 13
The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday issued a heatwave warning for Delhi until Friday. Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 43 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius. The weather agency also issued a heatwave warning for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan. The India Meteorological Department declares a heatwave for a region when the temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas and 30 degrees Celsius in the hills. On Wednesday, the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius, with the India Meteorological Department indicating a heat index value of 51.9 degrees Celsius by evening, The Indian Express reported. The heat index value, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. As per the weather agency, Delhi is likely to experience relief from the heat by this weekend. Thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by strong winds of 50kmph are expected. India Meteorological Department scientist Naresh Kumar told PTI that a western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from Friday night. It may bring rain and thunderstorms to Delhi, he added. This year, India experienced the hottest February since 1901. The weather agency started maintaining the records in 1901. The India Meteorological Department noted that there was an increase of 1.34 degrees Celsius in the average temperature in February, up from the normal of 20.70 degrees Celsius to 22.04 degrees Celsius. In 2024, India witnessed 536 heatwave days, the highest in 14 years. From April to June, around 40% of the country had experienced double the number of heatwave days than usual. At the national level, the weather agency calculates the total heatwave days as a culmination of such weather conditions in all 36 meteorological sub-divisions. For instance, a heatwave day, when experienced in five sub-divisions, is counted as five heatwave days. Due to this, the country had recorded 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke and over 100 heat-related deaths during one of its hottest and longest heatwaves.
