Mango growers in Malda dist pray for light showers to ensure bumper yield

MALDA: With temperatures soaring in Malda and with no winter rain from December to February, the district horticulture department along with mango growers are looking forward to light showers for a good yield of mangoes.

“Pollination has started and fruits are on the verge of coming up,” said an official.

At this time a spell or two of light rainfall does the magic. The flowers not bearing fruits get removed from the trees and the chances of better fruits increase with the rains, the official added.

However, the meteorology department has written off any chances of rain in the district in the next week. Owing to this farmers are spraying water on the trees to save their fruits.

Samanta Layek, deputy director of the district horticulture department, said: “Light showers are urgently needed for the mangoes to grow in full strength. For the last three months, there have been no rains in Malda so the soil has also dried up. If we get light rains every fortnight from here the mango cultivation will be in full swing.”

On the other hand, Kamakhyanath Bose from the district meteorology department, said: “There’s no chance of any rain in the coming week. The temperature is rising and has reached 33 degree Celsius here. The rise is continuous and Malda hasn’t received rain in the last three months which is not normal.” Due to a short winter, the mango panicles have come up fifteen days before schedule this year. Mango yield is expected to cross the 4-lakh metric ton mark this year in Malda. As of now farmers and officials are looking forward to rains to keep the chances of a bumper yield alive.