For mango cultivators in the State, there could not be a more disheartening season.
While mangoes are better in quality as compared to last year, the fruit is bringing losses to cultivators amidst the Covid-19 lockdown.
Restrictions on the number of vehicles entering the APMC market and the lack of buyers have brought down the demand for Alphonso mangoes, in turn reducing the rates.
While this is good news for consumers, who are getting them at a rate usually available only in May, the farmers are clueless about what to do in the next few days.
“Till Holi, we used to pluck the mangoes daily, now we don’t. Whatever we pluck is being taken to the market but the frequency of sending our produce to the market has been reduced,” said Sandeep Desai, a mango farmer said from Rajapur in Ratnagiri.
Mr. Desai used to earn ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 per box till Holi and it was expected that by April 15, the rate would go up to ₹5,000. It has, however, dipped to around ₹2,000. “One box consists of five to six dozen mangoes, depending on the fruits’ size. It should have been ₹1,000 per dozen but it’s come down to ₹400-₹500,” he said.
The weather has been ideal for mangoes this year, with a good winter and, the right amount of sunshine, but the “circumstances have gone wrong for us,” said Mr. Desai. “We can’t even blame anyone.”
Usually, during mango season, close to 80,000 boxes enter the market. This year, the number is down to 35,000 boxes due to entry restrictions. “There are fewer takers. People are not coming out to purchase anything from the market, and so the vendors are taking away lesser quantities. This has led to a drop in prices. The export permission has also reduced to 20%, adding to the lack of demand for mangoes,” said Sanjay Pansare, a mango trader from APMC market.
The lack of manpower to pluck, pack and transport produce is another challenge farmers are facing.
“Exports are fewer and canning factories are not functioning. Every day, the lockdown is getting more stringent in a few areas. Some markets in Pune and Gujarat have even shut, and in such a situation, we do not know what we will do with our produce in the next few days,” said Sachin Lanjekar, a farmer from Ratnagiri.
Mahesh Gawde, another trader at the APMC market, said, “We have been ordering only as per demand. Till last year, I used to receive supplies from at least 20 farmers. This time, I have restricted it to just 10 in line with the demand.”
