Mango farmers in Maharashtra’s coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, which is home to the world famous Alphonso mangoes, are facing the double whammy of lower production and depressed rates.

In the last five years, increased pest attacks, abnormal changes in the temperatures, and excessive use of fungicides and other chemicals have led to a dip in yields.

Wholesale market statistics in the State suggest a declining trend in arrivals. In 2012, 3.4 lakh tonnes of mango reached the market, but this year so far it has been just 15,602 tonnes.

Vivek Bhide, a mango farmer from Malgund, Ratnagiri, said trees were at 50 per cent of their capacity, as flowering and fruit-setting cycles have been disrupted by temperature rise, humidity, pest attack and use of chemical fungicides.

Bhide, who has also served as an adviser on the Maharashtra Government’s committee on mango and cashew, said that over a period due to excessive use of pesticides and fungicides, Thrips pest, which was a minor pest about 20 years ago, had now become major threat for the trees.

The problem of mango farmers has been further compounded by arrivals Alphonso look-alikes from Karnataka; the fruit looks similar to Alphonso, but tastes very different.

Mango farmer Prasanna Pethe, who manages about 7,000 mango trees, said that in large markets such as Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, mangoes from Karnataka are deceptively branded as Ratnagiri Alphonso and retailed.

Karnataka mangoes actually cost about ₹150 per dozen, but get sold as Alphonso with prices in the range of ₹600-900, he said.

“Earlier even if we had bumper crop, we made money on higher sales. But, today, we have reduced yields and our product is not getting enough margins due to mis-selling and fraudulent practices by traders,” Pethe said.

At Navi Mumbai’s fruit market, top quality Alphonso mangoes were fetching ₹900 per dozen compared to the usual price of about ₹1,200. Online grocery portal BigBasket was selling a dozen mangoes for ₹799.

TERI Associate Director Anjali Parasnis said farmers are suffering because of extensive and exclusive cultivation of Alphonso, which has led to a monoculture, making plants and trees susceptible to diseases.

The bio-diversify of Konkan has also been destroyed, as a result pests, which are part of the same environment, have no other host but the mango trees to attack, she said.

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