India has revised downwards its official mango crop forecast due to lingering cool weather, Yahoo news reports.
National mango volumes are estimated to rise by only 7 per cent this season above last year's level, and not increase by 25 per cent as previously predicted, Bijay Kumar, managing director of India's National Horticulture Board (NHB), said.
Lingering cool temperatures and hailstorms are likely to affect fruiting, bringing production down to almost last year's level, he said.
India's total mango production in 2010 reached 15,026.7 lakh tonnes (1.5bn tonnes), the report said.
National 2010 Alphonso volumes, the most popular export variety, stood at 17.7 lakh tonnes (1.7m tonnes), it added.
This year Alphonso fruiting is on par with last year, Mr Kumar said. The Alphonso season runs from February to June, according to the report. Most other Indian mango varieties are picked between June and August.
