Krishna district, which produces the highest quantiy of mangoes in the state, may not be able to retain its top slot this year.
The crop size in the district, for the current year is likely to be lower than that of previous years, considering flowering has not yet begun in most part of the districts this is bound to adversely affect the prospects of the mango growers who suffered a crop damage last year too.
Mango is grown in over 3 lakh hectares in the state, of which Krishna accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the total mango production in its 65,000 hectares of mango gardens.
Infact, the Banginapally variety of mangoes, which is famous worldwide is almost solely grown in Krishna district but with the current delay in flowering the Banginapally variety might be the most affected.
Farmers are attribuiting the incessant rains, which has resulted in a big fall in the night and day temperatures, as the reason for the delay in flowering.
G Nageswara Rao of Surampally village says flowering process is usually completed by the first week of January and the pods grow into fruits by the end of the month and starts ripening in another two months.
The night termperature which plays a crucial role in flowering and development of mango fruits should ideally be between 28 and 32 degree celcius during the flowering season.
Meanwhile, Krishna district Assistant Director of Horticulture Department K Mamadara Rao expressed hopes that the recent rise in temperature would augur well for the district and flowering would hopefully start again in the next 15-20 days.
Source: hindu.com
Publication date: 1/29/2009
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