Reduced yield, no buyers … the mango farmers of Konkan are staring at unsurmountable losses

The nationwide lockdown has brought the mango industry to a standstill and has affected the supply chain. The worst-affected are the mango farmers from the Konkan belt of Maharashtra

Isha Mati
| Updated: May 6th, 2020

Photo: flickr

Many people, especially the mango-lovers, wait for the summer months so that they can relish eating their favourite fruit. This time of the year, the mango plantations are abuzz with activity, retailers boast of every variety of mango imaginable, and the streets flooded with mangoes are a dream for the mango lovers. However, this year is unusual. The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant nationwide lockdown has brought the mango industry to a standstill.

Being close to the Konkan belt of Maharashtra, which is world-famous for its Alphonso (hapus) mangoes, during summer, Mumbai’s every street used to be flooded with this fruit. However, at present, most mango vendors are either closed for business, or people are shying away from buying mangoes.

In some areas of the metropolis, where mangoes have reached the stores, prices for consumers have shot up to as high as Rs 1,200 a dozen due to the short supply. Vinod Gupta, the owner of the Vinod Grocery Store in Goregaon East, Mumbai, complained of several supply chain issues. “The wholesale prices are far higher than usual. There is a shortage of vehicles, and the middlemen have to bribe the police to allow the produce to be transported to us,” Gupta told Gaon Connection. “We have no means to directly contact the farmers in the Konkan belt. The latter have no means to reach us, so we are left at the mercy of the middlemen. The farmers have been selling ripe mangoes at low prices to clear the stock, but prices are still very high once they reach vendors like me,” he added.

In some areas of the metropolis, where mangoes have reached the stores, prices for consumers have shot up to as high as Rs 1,200 a dozen due to the short supply

Mango farmers of Konkan in lurch

Amid the lockdown and the high price of the fruit in Mumbai, it is the mango orchard farmers in Konkan who are the worst-affected by the situation. “Because of the coronavirus outbreak, the economy of the Konkan region may collapse entirely. Ratnagiri and Raigarh districts, which have the majority of mango orchards, are the worst affected as they are highly dependent on this horticulture cash crop,” Vinay Ketkar, a farmer from Chitpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra told Gaon Connection.

As farmers from all over the major mango-producing regions in the state — Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad — are forced to remain in their homes due to the lockdown, ripe mangoes lie unharvested in their orchards. Some farmers fear the entirety of their crop season will be lost, and they may be left with a hoard of unsold mangoes this summer season.

On April 15, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued consolidated revised guidelines for the containment of COVID-19 in the country. Under these guidelines, certain activities have been exempted. This includes agricultural and horticultural activities such as “mandis operated by the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) or as noticed by the state/UT government (eg satellite mandis). The direct marketing operation by the state/UT government or by industry, directly from farmers/group of farmers, FPO’s co-operatives, etc. States/UTs may promote decentralised marketing and procurement at village level.”

However, the mango farmers of Konkan claim the ground situation is different and they are still facing problems with selling their produce.

As farmers from all over the major mango-producing regions in the state are forced to remain in their homes due to the lockdown, ripe mangoes lie unharvested in their orchards

The lockdown has created problems for farmers at every stage of the supply chain. With the lockdown restricting the movement of farmers from villages to villages, access to plantations has been compromised.

While the government has encouraged the continued harvest of mangoes, farmers are finding it difficult to do so. With transport regulations decreeing that only 2-3 people may be present in a vehicle at any given moment, the labour transportation costs have become too high to bear. Moreover, transportation from plantations to packaging centres is no longer possible due to the lack of vehicle operators as well as the vehicles. Very few vehicle operators are willing to operate due to the fear of the virus.

Due to these coronavirus regulations being taken very seriously in villages, vehicle operators are facing opposition from their villagers if they venture out to the city. Operators who go to the city to sell their produce and then return to the village are often forced to remain outside for up to 15 days. Therefore, not many operators are ready to risk transporting harvest to the cities.

While the agriculture department has been attempting to collect mangoes to sell in Mumbai and Pune, not many farmers have been able to benefit from this

No buyers

Because of the lockdown, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis were also shut down, which are now slowly becoming functional. But, a lot of crucial time has been lost. Farmers lament the lack of people to pick up mangoes from the mandis. While the agriculture department has been attempting to collect mangoes to sell in Mumbai and Pune, not many farmers have been able to benefit from this.

“The agriculture officers are buying mangoes from us, but they are only paying around Rs 250 per dozen. With this much, I cannot even afford the lease of my 35-acre plantation, let alone pay the workers and cover my personal expenses,” Javed Kazi, farmer and trader from Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district told Gaon Connection.

Some farmers, like Ketkar, have been able to sell mangoes at the usual prices of between Rs 800 and Rs 1,200 a dozen due to their established customer bases and ability to sell privately. Other farmers, who do not have access to private contacts are facing crashing prices due to the lack of retail demand. “We are clearing mangoes at any price now. Our big export mangoes, which usually sold at Rs 500-600 per dozen, are also being sold off at around Rs 200 now. We have no other choice,” lamented Kazi.

So far, there have not been any suicide cases in the Konkan region, said Ketkar. But, because of the COVID19 and lockdown, many farmers and traders in Konkan may go bankrupt. “If the situation [lockdown] continues, farmer suicides may become a big problem in Konkan, as well,” he added. The Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of the state are already notorious for the high farmers’ suicide.

The production of mangoes is considerably less this year, only one-fourth as compared to the last year

Unpredictable weather adding to woes

Since last year, mango farmers in Konkan have been facing a difficult time and COVID-19 has aggravated the crisis. Last year, unseasonal rains in October and November months affected the flowering of the mango trees and farmers have been complaining of reduced yield and compensation from the state government.

These farmers cite three primary reasons for the low production this year. Firstly, last year’s Southwest monsoon season (June to September) extended longer than usual, up to mid-November, in the state. Thereafter, there was no cold wind. Finally, the temperature was on the higher side till February this year. These factors drastically affected the flowering of the mango orchards, reducing both, the production, and the size of the fruit.

“The production of mangoes is considerably less this year — only one-fourth of what we got last year,” said Sumit Bhosle, a mango farm owner from Sawantwadi in Sindhudurg district. For him, at present, the loss in the overall yield is his biggest concern.

Kazi has similar concerns. His production this year is only half of the usual 20,000 boxes of mangoes, and his revenue loss is much more than 50 per cent.

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected us at every level,” said Ketkar.

The mango industry remains in jeopardy at present, and farmers are desperately calling for the support of consumers

Exports affected

India’s mango exports are valued at Rs 40,649.55 lakhs by Agri Exchange (for the fiscal year 2018-19), and comprise 40 per cent of India’s total mango output. The sales to major import markets – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the USA — generate 30-40% more profit than the domestic sales on average. Considering the high dependency on the export market, the projected 40% dip in fruit and vegetable exports this year is likely to take a sizeable toll on the domestic mango industry.

Moreover, with Maharashtra’s renowned Alphonso mangoes being the second most exported variety of mangoes, averaging an annual turnover of up to Rs 3500 crore, farmers from the Konkan region are anticipating unimaginable losses from exports.

With major import markets — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the USA – being some of the epicenters of the coronavirus, demand from these regions have seen a drastic decrease. The US alone is the market for approximately 1300 metric tons of mangoes annually, but due to travel regulations deterring inspectors from visiting plantation for quality approval, it is evident that these sales will not be made.

Closed road borders between transit regions, such as Dubai in the Gulf Region, may pose to be an issue as well. While the European Union has attempted to increase the ease of exports by dismissing the requirement of a physical certification of food safety and quality assurance, experts deem the impact of this on the exports to be nearly insignificant, considering the very minor percentage of the export market that the EU comprises.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee has said that exports of food and vegetables are being revived via sea shipments. More and more mango farmers are discovering new ways to adapt to the situation. Some are attempting to sell online, while others have begun directly selling to housing societies in major cities. “Farmers with innovative selling techniques can, in fact, benefit from the current scenario,” added Bhosle.

Nevertheless, the mango industry remains in jeopardy at present, and farmers are desperately calling for the support of consumers: “I have just one request,” said Ketkar. “Please buy mangoes from any farmer that approaches you at whatever price he is selling. Please do not try to haggle over the price.”

Isha Mati, 17, studies in Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai