King of fruits: Mango Production in Bihar

Mango is very special fruit in India. It is also considered as “King of Fruits”. Mithilanchal is the biggest producer of mangos . Mithila produces thousands of varieties of mangoes. Branded mangoes like Langda or Maldah, Chausa and other such varieties are not favorites for locals. People prefer other lesser-known varieties, which is juicy and has got different flavors. Kerwa, Panma, Ujra, Sinuriya, Karpuriya, Chiniya, Mirchaiya…there are innumerous varieties of mangoes in the orchards and there are legends associated with all these varieties.

Mango is very special fruit in India. It is also considered as “King of Fruits”. Mithilanchal is the biggest producer of mangos . Mithila produces thousands of varieties of mangoes. Branded mangoes like Langda or Maldah, Chausa and other such varieties are not favorites for locals.

Bihar is in for a bumper mango harvest this year, with production expected to be more than double of last year. Even the horticulture and agriculture department sources said the state is set for a bumper harvest this season. The fruit has already started appearing in the local market. “The crop yield this year is likely to be around 15 lakh metric tonnes,” said deputy director, horticulture (planning), Pawan Kumar on Thursday. Though there was a thunderstorm last week, it did not cause much damage to the crop, he added.

The total target area for mango cultivation is 38,015 acres under the Bagicha Bachao Abhiyaan (Save Orchard campaign) launched by CM Nitish Kumar in May, 2012. Emphasis was laid on adoption of scientific methods in horticultural activities and fruit-bearing trees were cultivated and grown in accordance with their area-specific quality and value. The government also gave subsidies to farmers for the tilling and ploughing of land under orchards. This led to the increase in yield, said Kumar.

‘Jardaloo’ variety of mango, which is successfully grown in Bhagalpur district, and the ‘Dudhiya’ variety of ‘Malda’ mango of Digha in Patna, have ensured an assured market, added the agriculture official.

District agriculture officer, Patna, Nitesh Kumar Rai also said that in view of widespread flowering and formation of fruits on mango trees in most of the districts like Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Araria and Patna, the state is expecting a bumper crop this season provided there is no major thunderstorm.

The year 2012 was an ‘off year’ for the crop as 2011 was an ‘on year’. Therefore, the overall mango yield achieved was less than 10 lakh tonnes. Due to the poor yield, its price was also high last year, say farmers. Moreover, mango is a dry-land crop which can survive without irrigation. It is also drought-resistant (the crop does not require regular watering after the fourth year of the plantation) and despite less rainfall, the yields are high, said a farmer.

Sanjay Jha, another big farmer of Darbhanga, said, “The rates should become steady after initial high and we expect good quality of Malda to sell at Rs 50 to Rs 60/kg.” Malda, Mallika, Jardaloo, Gulabkhas, Bumbai, Daseri, Chausa ..

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