Local Growers Face Catastrophic Losses as Beloved Summer Crop Vanishes: "It's Disappearing Before Our Eyes"

Erratic rain conditions in India significantly harmed the output of a key agricultural product, causing great distress among farmers.

What's happening?

As The New Indian Express clarified, mango growers in Karnataka are experiencing substantial economic setbacks following adverse weather conditions that devastated most of their harvests.

"This year, the mango buds were damaged due to the harsh winter heat in January and February. And when it started getting better, the sudden rain damaged the crops further," Ajith Raj, a mango farmer from Gauribidanur, told the publication.

While the unpredictability of mango yields is nothing new to these farmers, they are typically met with a wave of backlash for sour or low-quality fruits. This backlash can affect financial stability, putting the livelihood of these farmers at risk.

While some farmers are able to absorb these losses by pivoting to crops like tomatoes and beans, small-scale farmers aren't able to replace their mango crops because "their economic instability refrains them from shifting to a new crop, which includes a lot of money investment in terms of planting new saplings, wages for workers etc.," wrote The New Indian Express.

Why is this important?

Heavy rainfall, especially in excess amounts, can present substantial difficulties for farmers due to this. flooded fields prevent crops from getting the light and oxygen they need to thrive. Instances of extreme weather can lead to total crop failure, causing farmers to lose income and resources needed to cultivate their products.

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Apart from erratic precipitation, extreme heat is also a major threat to crop production For instance, unusually high temperatures have endangered tomatoes and onions. farming regions in Nigeria , as the country's agriculture industries combined for an average loss of 40%.

Even though the weather can be unpredictable, farmers frequently have no option but to press forward in an effort to earn their livelihood.

As a mango grower from Kolar, Yeshwanth says, 'Mango cultivation feels like taking a gamble,' told The New Indian Express states, “One never knows what lies ahead; things may seem to go smoothly until unexpectedly, one finds themselves bewildered. However, we are farmers, this is our vocation, and we can’t simply walk away from it just because of some losses.”

What's being done about this?

As reported by The New Indian Express, mango growers have fallen victim to exploitation by "mango mandis." This refers to individuals known as mandiwalas, who purchase large quantities of their produce at lower prices only to sell them later for significantly more. Due to these practices, farmers now depend primarily on cultivating a particular variety of mango that remains profitable despite such pricing tactics.

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"Due to these Mango Mandis, most of the farmers are shifting to totapuri mangos from which a lot of juice can be extracted. The farmers directly get in touch with the juice factories and end up getting a higher profit. If the situations remains the same, one day you won't have any mango varieties left apart from Totapuri," Yeshwanth said .

Yeshwanth additionally urged for governmental involvement to set up a base price that mango markets have to offer farmers and to raise the compensation limit to assist farmers in recouping their financial losses.

Elsewhere around the globe, researchers are making advancements climate-resilient crops that can endure extreme temperatures due to the continuous shifts in the climate. It's crucial to explore critical climate issues If your aim is to create an impact and lend a hand, safeguard the worldwide food supply , along with assisting farming communities as they encounter more erratic weather conditions.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less , and don't miss this cool list Of simple methods to assist yourself while also benefiting the Earth.

Regional farmers face devastating impacts with cherished summertime produce disappearing: 'In no time, nothing will be left...' first appeared on The Cool Down .