This year, the famed mango orchards of Malihabad in Lucknow are under severe stress. The fruits are smaller than usual, many are dropping prematurely, and growers are reporting a sharp decline in overall production. Farmers and scientists say the culprit is a rapidly changing climate that has disrupted the delicate weather cycle essential for mango cultivation.

Often called the mango capital of India, Malihabad holds the same significance for mangoes that Darjeeling does for tea or Kashmir does for saffron. Its Dasheri plays a central role in India’s mango story – the country produces nearly half of the world’s mangoes, accounting for roughly 40 to 45 percent of global output. Thousands of farming families, traders, packers, transporters, and exporters depend on the Dasheri crop for their livelihoods. 

But this year, unseasonal cold, erratic temperatures, and disrupted flowering have taken a heavy toll. Farmers say yields have fallen dramatically over the past four decades – by as much as 40 to 60 percent.

Rajkumar Singh, a farmer from Amlauli village, says, “Forty years ago, our orchards produced abundant mangoes. Today, production has fallen by nearly half.”

For growers like Bajrang Sharan Sharma of Nabipanah village, mango farming is a family legacy passed down through generations. “When we were young, there were hardly any diseases and very little need for spraying. But over the past 25 to 30 years, yields have declined steadily,” he says.

To make matters worse, farmers are increasingly relying on expensive pesticides, many of which they suspect are counterfeit or ineffective. Sharma says the cost of chemicals this year may exceed the value of the mangoes harvested.

Scientists explain that mango trees require a highly specific eight-month weather cycle, from winter chill and spring pollination to the intense summer heat that gives the fruit its sweetness, aroma, and colour. Even a single month of abnormal weather can significantly reduce both yield and quality.

According to Dr T Damodaran, Director of the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, successful pollination requires at least 15 days of stable temperatures. This year, only the earliest flowering phase received favourable conditions. Later blooms were hit by a sudden drop in temperature, preventing fruit formation across much of the Malihabad belt.

Among the most prominent guardians of Malihabad's mango legacy is Kalimullah Khan, the 85-year-old Padma Shri awardee known worldwide as the “Mango Man.” He recalls that mangoes once ripened by May 13 during his childhood. “Now they ripen around May 25. This year the crop was delayed, and the cold burned the flowers,” he says.

Experts also warn that excessive pesticide use can kill beneficial insects, weaken trees, and shorten orchard lifespans. As a solution, scientists are promoting “bagging technology,” in which young fruits are covered with special paper bags that protect them from pests and reduce the need for repeated chemical sprays.

Watch the full report.

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