Digging teeth into a succulent Indian mango is likely to get costlier for consumers abroad after unseasonal rain and hailstorms between February-end and early-April lashed themango-producing belts across the world’s largest producer during the flowering stage.

The Mango Growers’ Association of India (MGAI) estimates that the damage caused is as high as 30 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, among the key mango-growing States, while Maharashtra and Gujarat, which supply nearly 12 per cent of the delectable Alphonso variety overseas, have also been hit.

“We are definitely concerned due to the crop damage. There will be a domestic impact but we are not clear what will happen in terms of exports. A target is yet to be fixed but compared with last year, it is likely to be less and prices will be higher due to the limited amount of export-quality mangoes produced this year,” said a senior government official. Popular varieties sold abroad include Alphonso, Kesar, Banganapalli, Chausa and Malda varieties such as Langra and Himsagar.

Prices double Procurement prices are already up with supply shortage resulting in export-grade Alphonso mangoes selling at between ₹3,000 and ₹3,200 per crate (of five dozen) in Mumbai’s wholesale markets, up from ₹1,750-1,800 at the same time last year.

“We are buying at almost double the price from last year. The quality is poorer and will further impact our prices. A clearer picture will emerge in May when exports usually peak,” said Murtaza Bharmal, CEO of Pune-based MSY Traders, which sells mainly Alphonso, Kesar and Badami varieties to the UK, Bahrain and Vietnam.

According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) data, exports declined 26 per cent in 2013-14 to 41,280 tonnes from 55,585 tonnes in 2012-13.

A majority of Indian mangoes are sold in the UAE, followed by the EU led by importers in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

After the import ban was lifted by the EU this January, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had stated that the government expected mango exports to increase by as much as 50 per cent this fiscal.

Northern belt An Assocham report states that UP accounts for over 23 per cent of domestic production followed by Andhra Pradesh (15 per cent).

Mango growers in the State, among the hardest hit by the western weather disturbances, produced 43 lakh tonnes (lt) of the fruit last year in 3-3.5 lakh hectares across 16 districts.

That figure is now likely to drop to around 28-30 lt, according to local producers, and prices for the main varieties grown in UP – Dussehri and Chausa – are set to rise by as much as 35-40 per cent.

“Dussehri was selling at ₹30-40 a kg and we estimate that it will rise by about ₹10-15/kg. Chausa rates are about the same. Production is down all over the country but UP is particularly bad with some regions such as Saharanpur worse off than others,” said Insram Ali, President, MGAI.

Exporters had been looking to capitalise on Dussehri’s growing popularity in West Asia and had expected sales abroad this year to considerably exceed the 8-9 tonnes registered in 2013-14.

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