Tauktae effect: New trees make mango output climb steadily

Rajkot: The highly regarded Kesar mango has a distinctive flavour. The impact of Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021 severely damaged many mango orchards in the Gir Somnath, Junagadh and Amreli districts. Despite initial concerns about lower mango availability, the subsequent years have seen mango production increase continuously.

Despite horticulturists' concerns about the effects of climate change and adverse weather, diseases and unseasonal rainfall, mango production in the 11 districts of Saurashtra rose from 1.80 lakh metric tonnes (MT) in 2020-21 to 2.82 lakh MT in 2023-24.

Reports suggest that after Cyclone Tauktae, 35 to 40% of mango trees had been uprooted with the coastal talukas of Gir Somnath, Junagadh and Amreli districts seeing the worst damage.

Tushar Dhameliya, the director of a farmer producer organization (FPO) consisting of 200 Kesar growers, said, "After the cyclone in 2021, farmers made massive new plantations of mango orchards and the fruit from these new trees have been coming to the market since last season. The cyclone was not so devastating in the Talala area and parts of Junagadh district, while it had a heavy impact on parts of Amreli, Una and Gir Gadhada."

He added, "There is an imbalance in production from the old and new plantation. Production fell drastically in the ‘original' Kesar hubs such as Talala and Vanthli, which had 60-70-year-old trees, while farmers in the newer Kesar areas such as Gir Gadhada, Una, Dhari and parts of Amreli have been seeing bounteous mango production. In these areas, significant mango production began in the past decade.

According to the sources, after Tauktae, certain farmers began using plant growth regulators, affecting tree hormones and promoting early fruiting, thereby increasing the overall yield.

A M Karmur, deputy director of horticulture for Amreli district, said, "Kesar mango farmers get a yield of about eight tonnes a hectare. Usually, an orchard that has a good harvest one year will have an average to small harvest the next year, but the average output for the season remains stable."

Although mango growers initially anticipated exceptional yields this season, temperature variations now point to an about average harvest. Kesar mangoes are expected to hit the market from April 20, with supply to peak by mid-May.