Chittoor Mango Season To Peak From June Onwards

The mango season, which is currently in its early phase, will be prime from the first week of June.

At present, only limited quantities of Benishan, Kadar and Pullera varieties are reaching the market yards. Officials point out that a large number of farmers are bringing unripe Benishan mangoes in a rush to make early profits. However, this has led to oversupply and a drop in prices.

“Bringing unripe fruits is affecting prices and quality. We are advising farmers to wait for the fruit to ripen and bring the fully ripened produce in phases. This will help them get better market rates,” a horticulture officer remarked.

Traders at mandis have voiced concerns over the early arrivals of Benishan mangoes. They feel the fruits being brought to the market yards are often unsuitable for sale or export due to their premature harvest.

“We are suffering losses as unripe mangoes are not fetching good prices. Only properly ripened fruits should be brought to the market”, said a trader at the Chittoor market yard.

A good news is that exporters and traders dealing in Benishan and Totapuri (line fruits) have started arriving in the district. This indicates that trading activity will pick up pace soon.

On Sunday, prices at the Chittoor market had been between ₹19,000 to ₹25,000 per tonne for Benishan, ₹28,000 to ₹32,000 for Kadar and ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 for Pullera.

Horticulture officials stated that picking of Totapuri mangoes, which pulp industries use in large volumes, will start from the first week of June. The presence of pulp factories in and around Chittoor adds to the demand for Totapuri, especially during the peak season. Currently, Totapuri line fruits are priced from ₹18,000 to ₹20,000 per tonne.