Untimely rain, hailstorms and squally winds have dealt a severe blow to Kangra’s sprawling mango belt, with horticulture officials warning that crop losses could rise to 35-40 per cent if adverse weather persists over the coming days.
Just weeks before the peak harvest season in June and July, mango growers across lower Kangra are grappling with shrinking yields after repeated spells of rain, hail and strong winds battered orchards. The crop had already suffered damage during the crucial flowering and fruit-setting stages in March and April due to unseasonal rainfall, and the latest storms have further aggravated the situation by causing large-scale fruit drop.
Deputy Director (Horticulture), Kangra, Alaksh Pathani, said preliminary estimates suggest that nearly 150 metric tonnes (MT) of mango crop had been damaged in the latest spell of rain and hailstorm over the last two days. “The final assessment will be carried out in June, but the outlook is not encouraging as more rain and storms are likely in the coming days,” he said.
The Horticulture Department now estimates mango production in the district to remain between 17,000 and 18,000 MT this season, a steep fall from the earlier April projection of nearly 24,799 MT. Under normal weather conditions, Kangra produces around 29,000 MT of mangoes annually.
Officials said orchards had become increasingly vulnerable after the early spring weather disruptions weakened flowering and fruit-setting, leaving the crop exposed to subsequent weather shocks.
Mango cultivation forms the backbone of Kangra’s fruit economy. The crop is grown over more than 22,000 hectares — over half of the district’s total fruit cultivation area of around 42,000 hectares. Indora and Nurpur are the largest mango-producing blocks with over 10,000 hectares under cultivation, while Pragpur, Dehra and Nagrota Surian are also major contributors due to favourable agro-climatic conditions.
Kangra is known for traditional mango varieties such as Dashehari, Langra and Chausa. In recent years, farmers have also begun adopting hybrid cultivars including Pusa Arunima, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Shreshtha, Malika and Amrapali.
The weather impact is not confined to mangoes alone. Horticulture officials estimate 15-20 per cent losses in litchi production, while citrus crops are also under stress with projected losses of nearly 5 per cent.
The anxiety among growers has deepened as the MeT department has issued an orange alert for Wednesday and yellow alerts for May 14, 15 and 16. Himachal Pradesh has recorded 34 per cent excess rainfall so far this month, while Kangra alone witnessed 131 per cent excess rainfall, receiving 51 mm rain against the normal 22 mm.