Devgarh, Maharashtra: Mango farmers in Maharashtra are facing a severe crisis after extreme weather conditions led to a sharp fall in Alphonso mango production
this year. In Devgad, a major growing region, farmers have reported near-total crop failure in several orchards.
Alphonso mango crop damage
Komal Walke, a 26-year-old horticulturist, said she has been forced to source mangoes from larger farms to fulfil online orders and keep her family’s business running.
“If we don’t deliver on our orders, the big clients will not return next year,” she told Reuters.
India, the world’s largest producer of mangoes, produced around 28 million metric tons in 2024–25, according to CRISIL data. However, Maharashtra’s famed Alphonso crop, known as the “King of Mangoes”, has been severely affected by unusual weather patterns.
Alphonso mango
A government agriculture officer in Devgad said sharp temperature differences between day and night during December and January disrupted flowering and fruit formation. Later, unusually hot conditions in April and May, possibly linked to El Nino, damaged the developing fruit. The officer noted that these conditions significantly reduced output in one of the state’s key mango belts.
A government-backed survey estimated crop losses in Devgad at 85 per cent to 90 per cent, with similar damage reported in other parts of Maharashtra. Experts say this year’s output is among the lowest in decades.
