Kesar Mango Keri Junagadh District News Saurashtra Gujarat India

Trees laden with mangoes in November, experts say climate change a factor.

Mangoes usually mean the onset of summer in Gujarat. But this year, the farmers in Saurashtra hinterland, famous for its Kesar variety of mangoes, are a perplexed lot– the mango trees are either laden with fruits or have flowers in full bloom.

Agricultural scientists have undertaken the study in the phenomenon and believe the climate change could be a possible factor.

The phenomenon is seen in mango trees in Talala taluka in Junagadh district and in villages around Godhra. So far, these trees were never known to have flowered or given fruit off season.

The farmers in the region, though happy to take mango crop, are puzzled to see mango trees flowering and bearing fruit in October-November. Many of them have approached the nearby agriculture universities and horticulture institutes to know if the crop will have any negative effect.

Vipul Palani, a farmer in Talala Town(Gam) who has a Kesar mango orchard spread over 10 acres of land, said he has never witnessed such an activity in the past. “So far, we have seen increase or reduction in the yield but trees bearing mango fruit at this time is totally new for us,” said Palani. He approached the Junagadh Agricultural University’s horticulture department and informed them about the development.

Congress leader Jayesh Patel has mango trees in an orchard just five kilometers from Godhra city. Patel said while he has harvested the mangoes in one of the orchards, another orchard belonging to him has also started bearing fruit.

“I come from a family of farmers but I have never seen flowering of the trees and ready mango fruit during this season of the year,’’ said Patel.

“Several mango trees in the premises of Swaminarayan temple and Eagle Pipe Factory in Junagadh City are bearing good fruit,” said Dr A V Barad, the head of the Horticulture Department, Junagadh Agriculture University (JAU).

Barad said the university is yet to study the development in detail, but the most plausible and scientific reason could be climate change.

Dr A R Pathak, Director (Research) and Dr N J Vihol, associate professor with the Department of Horticulture, Anand Agriculture University, said the phenomenon is unusual. “We are getting reports from different areas of the state with trees bearing mangoes. This is a subject of study for horticulturists,” said the two scientists.

According to the scientists, environmental changes could have affected the flowering and fruit bearing habits of the seasonal variety of mangoes. “But our scientists have commenced the study to find the exact scientific reason for it,” said Pathak.

Talala Gir Junagadh District News – Kesar Mangoes Keri Production 2011

Price of Kesar soars due to decline in yield.

Mango lovers in the region might not relish their due share of Kesar this season, with the soaring price of this famous breed of mango due to decline in its yield.

The production of Kesar in Navsari was recorded at 10 percent while Talala produced 30 percent of it, which is estimated to be 50 percent lower than previous year's yield.

The mango hit the market a couple of days ago in Navsari, but consumers seem uncomfortable with the price.

Those who can afford the price have reduced the quantity they used to buy earlier, a shopkeeper said.

Akshay Patel from Sona village in Navsari said this year production of Kesar in the region is around 10 percent.

A retailer, Mangaram Marathi said that Kesar is being sold at a price of Rs 50-60 per kg.

Lower production has also affected the export of Kesar from Navsari.

President of marketing yard at Talala, Vallabh Chaudhary said Centre's allocation of fund of Rs 4.5 crore for setting up a mango processing unit at Talala will help boom the export of Kesar from next year.

Mango season in Talala and other areas in Junagadh district starts from the month of May and lasts till the third week of June.

However, this year the mango yield has dropped by about 50 percent due to global warming, unseasoned rains and high temperature at the time of flowering and maturity, the agriculture experts said.

One of the office bearers of Agriculture Produce Market Produce at Talala, Hasmukh Jarasaniya said the price of ten kg box of Kesar now ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 600.

A total of 7500 boxes were auctioned on the first day of arrival of Kesar in the yard, he said.

The commissioning agents and fruit sellers said they they expect to sell only about three lakh boxes of Kesar this year, which is one third of last year's figure when the yard sold nine lakh boxes.

However, markets across Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Navsari, Bulsar, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and other places are flooded with different kinds of mangoes from other parts of the country which include Alphonso, Totapuri Badami and Payri.