Mango farmers of Muthalamada sustained heavy losses in the past season because of the second wave of COVID-19 that crippled the north Indian mango markets. Although the farmers could pluck more mangoes than expected, the market crash left them crestfallen.
For the first time, India’s main markets such as Delhi and Ahmedabad said no to Muthalamada mangoes as the lockdown decimated the demand.
The farmers had to sell the mangoes in other places for less than half the price they could normally get in the north Indian market.
At ₹8 a kg
M. Sachindran, a leading farmer in Muthalamada, had to sell his crop for an abysmally low price of ₹8 a kg. “That was the worst sale I ever made. We had to pluck the mangoes and sell them for the lowest price towards the end of the season in May,” he said.
For the first time in recent memory, Muthalamada had two consecutive crops. When the first crop was in December-January, the second crop was in March-April.
“It was not two crops actually. Because of climate change and the early application of cultar by overanxious farmers, we had an early flowering this time. However, the rains in December heavily damaged that crop,” said Mr. Sachindran.
The farmers were hopeful when the mango orchards flowered copiously after January. But when the second crop gave them a fairly good yield, the market crumbled because of the lockdown.
A prized lot
Muthalamada mangoes enjoy a special place across the country, especially in the north, as they are the first mangoes to hit the market in January-February.
Till April, Muthalamada mangoes used to fetch a good price in the market.
Delhi remains the main market for Muthalamada mangoes, followed by Ahmedabad and Mumbai. About 90% of the 20,000-tonne yield from Muthalamada used to reach those markets every year.
Alphonso, the leader
Muthalamada has all major mango varieties such as Alphonso, Banganapalli, Sindhooram, Totapuri or Kilimooku or Kilichundan, Kalapadi, Mallika, Naduselai, Neelam, Rumani, Malgoa and Gudadath.
But Alphonso continues to be the leader fetching twice or thrice the price of other varieties.
Banganapalli, Sindhooram and Totapuri are the key varieties, covering two thirds of the total crop.
