Thunderstorms dash mango growers' hopes of salvaging crops

The mango growers of the undivided Dharwad district were hoping to salvage the season after the rising temperatures affected the yield. But a few spells of thunderstorms in the last few days have shattered their hopes.

The rain, accompanied by gusty winds, damaged the ready-to-harvest crop in Kalgahtagi, Kundgol, Dharwad and Hubballi taluks and in Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district. Mango, mostly Alphonso variety, is cultivated on 10,500 hectares in Dharwad district, the largest mango-growing district in the state.

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Over two quintals of fruits grown on two-acre orchard of Channappa Mulgund in Unkal of Hubballi taluk have been blown off the trees. This apart, many mango and sapota trees have been uprooted.

The soaring temperatures had reduced the yield. I was hoping to salvage the season by harvesting whatever left. But the thunderstorms in the last few days blew the fruits off the trees, Channappa Mulgund poured out his woes to DH.

The story of Revadihal farmer Ravi Harijan is no different. He too has lost his crop in the storm that hit the region recently.

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Santosh Katage, a farmer from Shiggaon, was the worst hit. The farmer, according to the taluk Horticulture officer Praveen Kulkarni, has lost 90% of crop to thunderstorm.

The unseasonal showers have uprooted sapota plants, blown off jackfruits and flowers off guava trees, leaving the farmers of the region worried.

Meanwhile, Ramchandrappa Madiwalar, Deputy Director, Horticulture, has urged the horticulture farmers not to destroy crops, citing drastic dip in prices or lack of access to markets. "The department will take measures to send the buyers to the field and also make necessary arrangements to send their yield to the markets outside the state," he said.