MULTAN: Mango production declined by nearly 60 percent in the ongoing season due to climate change and lack of resources including closure of canals, electricity loadshedding, diesel shortage at very crucial time for the crop.
Severe temperature variation from March 11 to March 17 from 37 degree centigrade to 42 degrees centigrade, contrary to 34 degree centigrade routine temperature in previous years, affected the mango fruit to a greater extent, said Director Mango Research Institute MRI Abdul Ghaffar Garewal, here on Sunday.
Similarly, the temperature in April also remained high, compared to previous years and it also aggravated problems for the growers. Abdul Ghaffar stated that the mango production affected by nearly 60 percent as the flowering stage could not bear the severity of weather. Besides climate changes, some other factors also damaged the mangoes production.
He stated that growers could not irrigate mango orchards at time of fruiting due to shortage of canal water, electricity loadshedding and diesel shortage. The growers could not operate their tube-wells due to power outage. Progressive farmer Shahid Hameed Bhutta also expressed concern on low production of mangoes. He stated that climate change was one of the important factor.
About other reasons, he added that political instability during March-April and poor performance of Bureaucracy also damaged mango crop. The Bureaucracy could not focused on the problems of the growers. The growers who owned electricity tube-wells, could not irrigate orchard at very important time due to electricity loadshedding. The mango flowers could not bear harsh weather condition and fell down. A good number of growers have diesel-operated tube-wells also.
Similarly, due to the fuel shortage, they faced the same complication and could not irrigate the orchards. In past, there had been one to two rains. However, there were no rains. The rainy water is of vital importance for mango plants at flowering stage, said Shahid. To a question about suggestions to avoid further losses, the Director MRI Abdul Ghaffar Garewal suggested growers to spray the plants with water as it will help maintaining health of the plants.
During the ongoing month of May, the temperature increased to nearly 49 to 50 degrees centigrade in the orchards especially at noon. Apart from this, the growers should be highly vigilant against the pest attacks also. It could also affect production by damaging fruit quality.
The progressive grower Shahid Hameed also proposed mango growers to keep irrigating the orchards regularly in order to avoid further losses and improve mangoes production.