India's 'mango king' suffers crop failure due to extreme weather.

Mango farmers in Alphonso, Maharashtra, India, are struggling as extreme weather has severely reduced yields and disrupted exports.

Komal Walke (26), an agricultural engineer living in the coastal town of Devgad, said she was forced to buy mangoes from larger farms to keep her family business afloat as her 1.2-hectare Alphonso mango orchard suffered almost total crop failure this year.

"If we don't deliver enough goods, our major customers won't come back next year," she said.

Alphonso mangoes are known as the "King of mangoes". Photo: SCMP.

India is currently the world's largest mango producer, with an estimated output of 28 million tons in the 2024-2025 season, according to data from the credit rating and research organization CRISIL. Maharashtra state, in particular, is famous for its Alphonso mango variety – often dubbed the "King of Mangoes" – but unusually hot weather has ruined this year's harvest.

According to Bapusaheb Manikrao Lambade, an agricultural officer in Devgad – one of the largest Alphonso mango-growing regions in the state – the large temperature differences between day and night in December and January severely affected flowering and fruit setting. Subsequently, unusually high temperatures in April and May, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, further damaged the fruit.

A government-backed survey conducted by scientists and field officers estimates that this year's mango crop in Devgad has suffered losses of 85-90%. Many other mango-growing regions in Maharashtra have also reported severe damage.

According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence, India's mango industry was worth approximately $2.3 billion last year and could rise to $3.4 billion by 2031.

Most mangoes are consumed domestically, especially during the hot summer months. However, in 2025, India is still expected to export approximately $56 million worth of fresh mangoes and $80 million worth of mango pulp products.

Reuters interviewed more than a dozen farmers, traders, export businesses, and local officials in Maharashtra, all of whom agreed that this year's yield is the lowest in decades.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/vua-xoai-an-do-mat-mua-vi-thoi-tiet-cuc-doan-d813416.html