It’s early morning. The soft sunlight is filtering through the leaves of the mango trees and falling to the ground. But Rajkumar Singh, standing in the middle of his orchard, is not marvelling at the natural beauty. Instead, his gaze repeatedly darts to the branches that, just a few days ago, were brimming with blossoms. Today, those same branches look barren. With each gust of wind, it’s as if his hopes have been shattered. He says, “Perhaps nothing special will happen this time either...”
For Singh, who has been cultivating mangoes in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, for the past several years, mangoes aren’t just a crop; they’re his identity, his life, the result of generations of hard work. But this time, the weather has once again shattered his hopes. Initially, the blossoms were good—dense, strong, and full of hope. But a few days ago, a storm and rain knocked down more than half of them.
Looking at the trees, he says, “One night of rain and storm… and it’s all over. We wait the whole year, and the weather takes it all away in one stroke.”
Singh isn’t alone. From Amlouli village in the Mal block, about 33 kilometres from Lucknow to the entire Malihabad region, this story is repeated again and again. Worry lines every farmer’s face, and every orchard displays a mix of hope and despair.
Malihabad, once known as a ‘mango hub’, is now facing the brunt of climate change. Farmers here are no longer dependent on the weather, as the weather is no longer reliable.
The impact of the weather isn’t limited to production alone. Its impact is clearly visible on farmers’ pockets as well.
Singh says, “Expenses are constantly rising. Medicines have become more expensive, wages have risen, even water costs more. But income? It’s dwindling.”
When the crop is good, about 500 carats (one carat contains 20-25 kg mango) of mangoes are produced in one acre. But in the last few years, only 400-350 carats of mangoes have been produced. In terms ofv expenditure, about Rs 25,000 are spent on irrigation and fertilisers. Whereas earlier, only one or two rounds of irrigations were required, now four to five rounds have to be done.
Uttar Pradesh accounts for approximately 34 per cent of India’s total mango production. Mango cultivation covers approximately 11,500 hectares spread across areas like Malihabad, Mal, and Kakori.
Malihabadi Dussehri mangoes have a Geographical Indications tag, a testament to their uniqueness. However, to preserve production, farmers are forced to resort to chemicals. One such chemical is paclobutrazol, known to farmers as cultar. It is used to induce flowering in trees. This chemical disrupts the natural cycle of mango trees, known as “alternate bearing.” Mango trees typically produce more fruit one year and less the next. However, the use of cultars induces flowering every year, thus maintaining a stable production.
Mahendra Singh, a farmer from Nabipanah village, has a five-bigha orchard. But steadily declining production has left him helpless.
Scientists are concerned about this increasing chemical use. They say that if these chemicals are not used correctly and in limited quantities, they can harm trees in the long run. Trees can be stunted, their lifespans can be shortened, and they can become weak.
Manish Mishra, Principal Scientist at the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, says, “Farmers want annual production, but nature has its own cycle. If we try to change it forcibly, it will definitely have an impact.”
The impact of climate change isn’t limited to flowers and fruits. Pests and diseases are also increasing rapidly. Where previously, the orchard needed to be cleaned up once or twice, this is now required to be done four to five times, directly impacting costs.
Farmers say they now have to be constantly vigilant, sometimes from pest attacks, sometimes from disease and sometimes from the weather. Kalimullah Khan, a renowned mango grower from Malihabad and a Padma Shri awardee, is also deeply concerned by this changing situation.
He says, “The future of mangoes in Malihabad is bleak. When I was a child, there was no fertiliser or chemical use here. The trees were open, the wind blew, the sun shone, and they bore so many fruits that people would cite them as examples.”
Another cause of concern for Kalimullah Khan is the increasing number and density of trees. He says, “This was once a fruit belt, but now it’s becoming a forest belt. The trees have become so dense that they’re fighting each other.”
According to him, when trees don’t have enough space, they don’t grow properly. This also results in fewer fruits.
Another important point Kalimullah Khan makes is understanding the balance of nature. He says, “There are some insects that are not our enemies, but our friends. They help flowers turn into fruit. But we kill them too because we think every insect is harmful.”
This is the result of indiscriminate use of pesticides, which is disturbing the natural balance.
Regarding the change in weather, he says, “Earlier, it used to be cold in November-December. Now it’s cold in January-February. Mango is a summer fruit; it needs to flower in the winter and bear fruit in the summer. But when the weather changes, how will the crop be healthy?”