Ratnagiri, Devgad Alphonso mango yield hit by erratic weather; arrivals drop, prices shoot up

Kolhapur: Consumers will have to wait a little longer to savour the signature fragrance, buttery texture and rich flavour of Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso mangoes this year, as an extended monsoon, sharp day-night temperature swings and a lingering winter have disrupted their flowering. A rise in mango-hopper infestations has added to the delay too, pushing back the start of the season.Traders said only 15 boxes were arriving in the Kolhapur APMC from Konkan daily now against 300 boxes that were reaching the APMC around this time last year. "The situation is similar in Pune, Satara and other APMCs. Mangoes usually start arriving in the market by Feb-end," Prasad Valanju, a mango trader from Kolhapur, said.The lower supply has also shot up the prices of Alphonso mangoes in the retail market, which are now selling between Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,000 per dozen. "Usually the price is around Rs1,500-3,500," a trader said.Many orchards in Ratnagiri have reported a drastic drop in yield this season — between 50% and 70%. Farmers across the Konkan belt anticipate a similar reduction in Alphonso production compared to an ideal harvest season. They expect that supplies in Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets across the state will stabilise only after mid-April, with the fruiting season likely to last just five to seven weeks.