Madesh Province Mango Production Declines Despite Area Expansion

Janakpurdham. Although the area of mango cultivation in Madesh Province has been expanding, production has significantly declined this year due to storms and pest outbreaks. According to data from the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Naktajhiz, Dhanusha, in the fiscal year 2082/083, mango cultivation covered an area of 32,574 hectares in the province, yielding an average of 9.04 metric tons per hectare, resulting in a total production of 294,567 metric tons.

In the previous fiscal year (2081/082), 29,880 hectares were cultivated with mangoes, yielding 11.43 metric tons per hectare, for a total production of 341,445 metric tons. Comparatively, although the area of mango cultivation increased by 2,694 hectares in the current year, the production has decreased by 46,878 metric tons.

Siraha and Saptari districts have the largest area under mango cultivation in Madesh Province. Subsequently, commercial mango farming is practiced in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa, and Rautahat. Mango varieties produced in Madesh Province include Bombay, Maldah, Krishnabhog, Jarda, Amrapali, Biju, Gulabkhas, Dasheri, and Kalkatiya.

According to agricultural expert Hridaynarayan Thakur, the decline in mango production this year is due to storms and pest outbreaks. Farmers have started using improved varieties of saplings. While garden management and irrigation systems have also improved, natural disasters have prevented expected yields, he stated.

Farmer Ram Balak Pandey from Pipra Rural Municipality-3, Mahottari, said that mangoes did not yield well this year due to storms and pest outbreaks.