Merchants in the region estimate that the demand for juicy varieties of mango, may be affected without much fruits on the trees. Many of the trees have failed to yield fruits due to adverse weather conditions. Even worse, the standing trees are starting to wither away. And this has been due to prolonged sultry weather and lack of enough rain in the last one year.
In 2011 and 2012, Madurai had recorded 47 and 76 mm of rain, but it reduced in 2013, when the city recorded 13 mm of rain. This year, Madurai has had only 0.2 mm of rain since the beginning of April.
Madurai fruit market is one of the biggest in southern Tamil Nadu. Dindigul and Theni districts are considered the mango belt of the region. During the peak season, the market is used to transact as much as 100 to 150 tons of mangoes per day, however, this year it has been not more than 20 tons.
“The mango cultivation has taken heavy toll due to lack of rain in the region," said M Sadukkani, a fruit commission agent in Madurai.
Farmers explain, though, the flowering of the mango crop was abundant this time, the summer rains failed to come on time. As a result all flowers withered away. In April 2013, a sudden hailstorm had damaged over 40 percent of unripe mango crop in Pochampalli district of Tamil Nadu.
Agriculturists are now concerned and believe that mango yield will soon start depleting from the region if the summer rains behave the same way every year .
Photo by hindu.