It is past mid-February but mango flowers are yet to be seen, indicating a poor mango harvest for Malda this year. Farmers are despondent, as going by the cycle they were expecting a bumper crop this year. The scope for a make up is slim too since the state government has a provision to compensate damage caused to the mango crop but there is no provision to compensate for the absence of flowers.
According to the mango development officer in Malda, Mr S N Khara, the mango trees so far flaunt 25 to 30 per cent of the expected bloom. “We would have to wait a week more for the final calculation of flowering. But going by the indications so far, mango harvest is feared to be poor in Malda this year,” he said. Holding the unfavourable weather conditions responsible for the situation, the official added: “We expect 40 per cent flowering to be completed in another week's time.”
“The district did not receive ample sunlight for 10 days in the month of January, which caused the major damage. From 22 January onwards, Malda district was shrouded in fog. Moreover, the proper chill also did not come in time and now the mango trees are not getting the much-required western breeze to help flowering properly.”
The situation of mango cultivation was discussed in a meeting today in presence of the ADM (development) and sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad. The meeting was held to draft action plans and proposals to be sent to the national horticulture mission (NHM) seeking funds for 2009-10 for the development of mango cultivation in the district.
There is a twist here. “The state government compensates farmers for loss in the mango crop but in this case, the loss is due to non-flowering, which we cannot compensate for,” said Mr Khara.
The district horticulture department officials are hoping that production of the laxmanbhog and fazli varieties of mango would be better than the ashwina, himsagar and langra varieties this year.
Source: thestatesman.net
Publication date: 2/17/2009
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