Andhra Pradesh: Mango farmers battle erratic weather, crop pests

An earlier onset of the summer, erratic rainfall, and pests that thrive due to the changing climate are impacting mango farmers’ yields in Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, farmers say and data show.

First, the February heat resulted in flowers falling off early in B Vasudeva Reddy’s mango farm in Abbireddivuru village in Chittoor district. Then, in April, black thrips attacked his crop, and he sprayed pesticides and other “medicines” indiscriminately, on the advice of shop owners, in an attempt to control the pests and help flowering. He invested Rs 4 lakh in his mango crop this season, but is expecting just 20% of the crop, he told us in April.

D Madhusudan Reddy, deputy director of horticulture for Chittoor district, said that the mango yield in Chittoor varies a lot year to year. For instance, the totapuri variety, that grows over 100,000 acres in Chittoor has had yields ranging from 2.4 to 6 tonnes per acre over five years.

“The average yield in the district is four tonnes per acre; this year it is five tonnes so we can say it is above average,” said Reddy, adding that rains which occurred in May led to an increase in the size of the fruit in the district,...

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