Gorging on Uttar Pradesh’s famed Dussehri mangoes may become a costlier affair this summer as untimely rain, hailstorms and weather fluctuations have severely hit production across the state’s mango belt.
Uttar Pradesh, which contributes nearly 25-28 per cent to India’s total mango production, is witnessing up to 60 per cent crop loss in parts of Malihabad and other mango belts, pushing retail prices of premium Dussehri mangoes to around Rs 80-110 per kg this season.
Farmers and traders say the reduced crop is likely to push prices of premium Dussehri mangoes significantly higher compared to last year. Mangoes that typically sold for Rs 30-50 per kg may now retail between Rs 80 and Rs 110 per kg during the peak season in June.
Malihabad, Mal and Kakori areas near Lucknow account for a major share of the state’s prized export-quality fruit. “This year, only about 40 per cent of the trees have borne fruit,” said veteran mango grower Qasim Raza in Malihabad’s Nabi Nagar village. The 75-year-old farmer owns orchards spread across 20 bighas where mangoes have been cultivated for nearly five decades.
“Earlier, mangoes from this orchard were exported abroad. This year, we may only be able to supply local markets in Lucknow because the crop is too little,” he said, looking at sparsely laden trees.
Former village head and mango grower Mohammed Miyan from Mujasa village in Malihabad said the uncertainty this season has left orchard owners anxious despite strong market demand. “There is demand for Dussehri mangoes everywhere, but the fruit on trees is much less this year. Untimely rain and storms damaged the flowering stage badly. Farmers are worried because even though prices may rise, many of us do not have enough produce to recover our costs,” he said.
Miyan added that the quality of naturally ripened mangoes expected after June 1 would still attract buyers from across north India. “The real taste of Malihabadi Dussehri comes in June. Once properly ripened on trees, its sweetness and aroma are unmatched. But this year the quantity will remain low, so consumers should be prepared for higher prices,” he said.
Inside neighbouring orchards, several trees stand almost barren. Farmer Rais Ahmad said production this year was barely 40 per cent of last season’s yield.
“This is not only because of storms or rain. Mango orchards also follow a natural cycle—one year it gives heavy fruiting, the next remains lighter,” he explained. “Some farmers use growth regulators like Cultar to increase production, but those chemicals can damage trees in the long run.”
At the peak of flowering earlier this year, thick fog enveloped the orchards for two consecutive days. Just four days later, untimely rain lashed the region. Scientists say this proved disastrous for mango flowering.
At the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Rahmankhera, principal scientist Dr HS Singh explained that the season had initially promised a bumper harvest because flowering was abundant. “But heavy fog appeared during peak flowering and moisture started dripping from the blossoms. Then sudden rain followed. Water on mango blossoms acts almost like poison,” he said.
“The flowers became sticky, fungal infections developed, and much of the bloom got damaged. That is why Malihabad is witnessing up to 60 per cent crop loss this year.”
Ironically, the damage has not been uniform across the state. Scientists say western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut and Amroha are witnessing bumper crops of Chausa and Langra mangoes this season.
Back in Malihabad, growers are experimenting with techniques to salvage value from the smaller crop. In several orchards, mangoes wrapped in protective paper covers hang from branches. Farmers call them “Golden Mangoes” because the covers help produce a brighter yellow colour and blemish-free skin.
“One paper bag costs around Rs 2.10. Packing increases the cost by nearly Rs 20 per kg, but the fruit looks premium and can fetch Rs 65 to Rs 100 per kg,” said Rais Ahmad, pointing at hundreds of covered mangoes dangling from trees.
Mohammad Sufian, who has been purchasing orchards outright from farmers for over two decades, said crop decline tends to occur every third year, but this season’s shortage is especially visible.
“Mangoes that earlier sold for Rs 30-40 per kg may now sell for Rs 80-100 per kg,” he said. “Demand is very high while production is limited.”
In some orchards, losses are even more severe. A mango grower said his orchards had yielded barely 10 per cent of last year’s production. “One orchard that used to produce nearly 1,000 crates will barely produce 50 crates this season,” he said.
For small farmers, the reduced crop has become financially devastating because input costs remain unchanged despite lower yields. In Kakori, farmer Ram Sanai said he earned nearly Rs 5 lakh from mango sales last year, but this season even Rs 1 lakh seemed difficult.
“Production may have fallen, but expenses on irrigation, spraying and labour remain the same,” he said while watering his orchard.
India produced nearly 25 million tonnes of mangoes last year, retaining its position as the world’s largest mango producer. Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for around 5.8 million tonnes, with the Lucknow belt contributing almost 30 percent of the state’s production.
Spread across nearly 46,000 bighas with more than 100 orchards, Malihabad’s mango economy sustains over 2,000 farming families whose generations have cultivated mangoes for more than a century. This summer, however, nature has ensured that the king of fruits will truly come at a king’s price.
