Indian mango yields are expected to fall this year due to heavy January rains which hampered the flowering process, reports www.thehindu.com.
Horticulture officials also blame the anticipated crop drop on farmers, many of whom failed to apply fungicide after the rains, leading to blossom blight.
'The situation is similar in every part of the state,' horticulture deputy director Venkateswara Rao is quoted as saying. 'In normal conditions, the average mango yield will be between 7.2 and 8 tonnes per acre. The yield is expected to come down in every part of the state.'
Officials said it was too early to predict 2012 national volumes. But one expert told The Hindu that a 20 per cent drop in yield was possible.