Grab before it’s gone: Shorter mango season likely in Pune this year

At present, Pune’s market is flush with mangoes both from Konkan and Karnataka. Rohan Ursal, a commission agent in Pune’s market said that, on Sunday March 10, as many as 2,000 boxes of 2 dozen mangoes each, and 200 peti (each with 4-5 dozen) from Karnataka were received at the market.

“This arrival is a bit unusual but farmers said that a complete absence of rains in Karnataka has resulted in a good harvest during the first flush,” he said. Currently, mangoes from Karnataka are priced at Rs 300-400 a dozen, which Ursal said was a good price.

However, the early trend, Ursal said, may not continue as growers in Karnataka have spoken about severe moisture stress which can take a toll on the crop. “Farmers have said they urgently need rains without which the second and most important flush, which boosts volumes in the later part of the season, will result in a smaller quantity of produce,” he said.

Growers in Konkan have, however, reported a bonus season which has boosted production. Mukund Joshi, director of Hapus Amba Utpadak Viktreda Sahakari Sangh—a cooperative body of hapus growers—said the arrival is a result of farmers being able to control the attack of thrips.

“At present this is a bonus season. Another flush is currently underway, which will lead to another harvest mid April,” he said. However, arrivals would dip from March end to mid April after which it will again take off.