Hey Shehri Babu - Climate Change is coming for more than your mangoes

Let us begin by clearing the air. So far as we know, mango production in Pakistan has not declined by 60%. That does not change the fact that our prized mangoes are definitely under threat. 

The final tally of mango yield for this year is yet to be finalised, but what is slowly becoming clear is that estimates made by provincial agriculture departments are significantly off from the on-ground situation. Farmers, exporters, and researchers have all been trying to ring the alarm bells to warn people about the dire straits that this year’s mango production faces and we can say with some certainty that there will be less of the beloved golden fruit this year. 

Here is what we know. Mangoes in this current season have faced a cacophony of disasters. To start off, this has been the hottest summer in more than half a century, with average temperatures in mid-March (a vital time for mango trees) soaring between 37-42 degrees, compared to the usual 34 degree temperature that this month sees in Punjab’s mango belt. This has made the mangoes more susceptible to disease, premature ripening, and being of a lower quality. In addition to this, high prices of fuel and an energy shortage have meant farmers have been unable to run their tubewells and provide irrigation to mango trees which require a constant supply of water.