Kolkata: Mango lovers of Bengal eagerly waiting to tantalise their taste buds with the Langra variety of the fruit have reasons to be disappointed since its production has been significantly low this year and it is unlikely to hit the retail markets across the state.
Langra, regarded as the ‘king’ of the mangoes, has been the worst affected due to the erratic weather conditions this year. Horticulture department sources said, last year, the production of Langra was 45,300 metric tonnes. This year, it has been only one fifth of that. The total area for Langra cultivation in Malda — main mango growing district — is 4,315 hectares which is 13.5 per cent of the total mango production of the area in the district.
“The total area for mango production is 31,842 hectare. Last year, we grew 3.39 lakh MT of mangoes. This year, there has been 45-50 per cent less production. The Himsagar and Fajli variety has been cultivated to some extent but Langra bore the maximum brunt of the weather fluctuations. The panicles of the Langra variety got detached as rain had set in when they grew on the trees. This affected production,” said Samanta Layek, deputy director of the Horticulture department, Malda.
He added that the temperature variation resulted in vegetative growth of the plants but reproductive growth was below expectations. Langra is known for its variant green skin even when ripe.
It naturally tastes rich, with a smooth texture and has a juicy pulp. Around 400 varieties of mangoes are grown in Bengal of which many are becoming extinct. Murshidabad is known for its wide variety of mangoes while Malda produces the highest quantity of mangoes among all districts. Presently, 14-15 districts of Bengal grow mangoes.