Climate change and COVID impact the mango sector

In India, mango production is declining due to the effects of climate change and industry professionals see the situation worsening with internal isolation, transport problems and import restrictions to certain destinations.

 

India is the largest producer of mangoes with around 40% of total world production. Since the 1990s mango areas had increased in the country and production had increased leading to increasing exports. But over the last 5 years or so, various cyclones and extreme weather conditions, flowering and late ripening which exposed the fruits to non-seasonal rains, have caused a decrease in volumes produced.

 

This year because of COVID-19, the situation has worsened with the various strict lockdowns which have lowered domestic demand. Regarding foreign markets, the negative effects of the pandemic on transport and import restrictions, particularly in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, have caused a drop in exported volumes.

 

According to the estimates of professionals in the sector, mango exports for the years 2020 and 2021 have been low and losses are expected to be significant in the main mango-producing states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar.

 

For the year 2019-20, the cultivated area reached 2,309,000 hectares and production totaled 21,285,000 tons.