With conducive weather and alternate year for mango crop, the production of the fruit may increase by 10 to 15% in Uttar Pradesh. Orchards are in full bloom and flowering has been higher than last year. The horticulture scientists said that if wind speed and climate remained favourable, the season would be profitable for mango growers.
According to data provided by the horticulture department, mango orchards cover an area of over 2.58 lakh hectares in UP with an average production of 170 to 180 quintals per hectare. However, here in Bijnor, mango orchards cover an area of 13,310 hectares, across areas like Mandawar, Kiratpur, Bijnor, Najibabad, Chandpur, Nagina and other places. Mangoes have been cultivated here since medieval times. There are many varieties such as Dasheri, Chaunsa, Langda, Ratole, Bombay and others, marketed to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
“Last year, the mango harvest was considerably poor and because harvest increases every alternate year, this year we can look forward to a bumper mango crop,” said KK Singh, scientist, Agricultural Research Centre, Nagina. On the other hand, with high production, mango will be in the reach of the common man and cheaper than last year.
Singh added, “This time around temperature has also been favourable for the crop. With the high temperature, all mango orchards are in full bloom. Flowers are developing fast. If everything goes well, the harvest will increase by 10 to 15% compared to last year.”
Singh said, “A perusal of the state-wise area and harvest figures indicated that UP was the leading mango-producing state with contribution of 23.5% to total production of the fruit in the country, while Andhra Pradesh was the leading state in terms of area, accounting for 14.6% of total area under mango in the country in 2014-15.”
Senior inspector at horticulture department, Narpal Malik said, “The production of mango increases every alternate year. Last year blooming was less than this year. Besides this, the weather has also been conducive for the fruit. If heavy wind and rain do not occur, harvest should increase by over 10%.”
Talking to TOI, Nadeem Ahmed, resident of Mandawar said, “Most mango orchards are in full bloom. We are hopeful that mango production will go up this year. However it depends on the weather from here on.”
Written by: Harveer Dabas, Times of India