Mango crop in Sindh shows promise

Good flowering in mango trees marks a healthy outlook for the crop in Sindh, if it is able to withstand the windstorms that usually take place during April-May.

Orchard owners, researchers and contractors agree that the fruit setting is in full swing and now has entered its final stage since temperatures rose in the third week of March, touching 40 degrees. However, the water shortage in lower Sindh can threaten the mango crop.

Orchard owner, Ghulam Sarwar Abro, is recommending that mango orchard owners should be applying potassium in trees for better fruit bearing. The orchard owners must, however, avoid overdosing of nitrogen which overripens the fruit and causes jelly formation in the pulp. To avoid jelly formation, calcium could be helpful.

Exceptional flowering is being reported all across Sindh province and the orchard owners only need to manage their farms properly to be assured of a bumper crop.

Orchards in the provincial mango hub districts of Matiari, Tando Allahyar and Mirpurkhas districts recorded a 70pc fruit setting.

The early stages of flowering this year in trees was hit by powdery mildew — a fungal disease pre-emptive measure to spray pesticides was reported to be enough to take care of the problem.

The agriculture department’s mango farm in Mirpurkhas was auctioned for Rs2.2m against last year’s figure of Rs1.2m. Due to improved prospects of crop this year has caused contractors to offer better deals.

The chaunsa variety of mangoes would witness a decline this year as it gave good production last year but sindhri is flourishing with adequate fruit setting, thanks to the extended winter season this year, as stated by farmer Imdad Nizamani.