Heavy rains across northern coastal Andhra Pradesh over the last two and half months have gotten up the hopes for mango farmers across the region. Having suffered heavy losses last year owing to the nearly drought-like conditions, mango farmers of northern coastal AP are expecting a bumper crop this year.
Experts in the horticulture department too feel that the rains, that have helped replenish the groundwater levels, will help mango yield in the region.
K. Sailaja, assistant director of the horticulture department, Visakhapatnam, said: "The rains have undone the damage to groundwater levels that happened over the last two years. If the temperatures do not go above 35°C, we can expect a bumper crop."
Mango is cultivated across 77,000 hectare in the three districts of north-coastal AP — Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.
R Srinivasalu, assistant director of horticulture, Bobbili too said that the rainfall over the last few months will help. However, he added that there are other long-term issues that remain to be addressed: "The yield will obviously be high this year, but to get consistently better yields, big farmers should refrain from leasing out their orchards to traders. They should only sell the fruit to them.”
