PALAKKAD For the farmers of Muthalamada, the mango city of Kerala, the current season has been one of pain and cheer. When the climate change and unseasonal rain coupled with the worst type of thrips attack nearly decimated the production, exceptionally good price of mangoes has made up for the loss of the farmers.
Even when the Muthalamada mango season is nearing an end, the prices of mangoes stood up with varieties such as Alphonso and Malgoa fetching Rs. 70 a kg at wholesale rate and Banganapalli and Kalapadi Rs. 60. Even Sindhoor and Priyur were sold at Rs. 50 a kg.
According to R. Biju, manager at PKH Traders, a leader mango trader at Muthalamada, it was the highest price the Muthalamada mangoes got in recent years. He said that the price could compensate the production loss due to climate change and thrips attack.
The farmers of Muthalamada were by and large disillusioned because of the drastic fall in the yield after rain in November destroyed the early flowers. However, the trees flowered again in January bringing joy to the farmers. But thrips or minute insects locally called ‘ilappen’ destroyed the flowers in many areas.
According to Hafeez, a leading trader at Muthalamada, the thrips attack had affected the orchards lying close to the Western Ghats. He said the exact reason was not known, but the difference was visible.
Mr. Hafeez said that the mango orchards had only 10% yield compared to previous years, but the high price brought cheers to farmers.
“This season, we had the worst thrips attack since the insect began to appear in Muthalamada five years ago. I got nearly one-third yield,” said M. Sachindran, a leading farmer at Muthalamada.
The farmers tried different kinds of pesticides and were almost defenseless against the thrips.
The biggest advantage of Muthalamada was that its mango orchards used to flower by November and give the yield by January and February. The climate change, including the delayed rain, has deprived Muthalamada of the advantage that it used to enjoy in the past.
The reason for good price, according to Mr. Hafeez, was that the season was delayed in almost all other parts of the country.
Delhi, Ahamedabad and Mumbai are the main mango markets in the country with 90% of Muthalamada mangoes yielded between January and March reaching those markets. This year, those markets too witnessed delayed arrival of mangoes from other parts of the country.
