Back-to-back Bumper Mango Harvests Creates Worries Of Over Supply
Shakila Ifham
January 5, 2024
The Department of Agriculture states that the mango harvest in Sri Lanka has set a new record in 2023.
According to the data of the Post-Harvest Technology Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, the annual mango harvest of all the mango varieties grown here is about 250 million fruits.
However, the Department of Agriculture says that the current data collection has confirmed that the 2023/24 mango season would exceed that amount.
Due to this, the price of TEJC mangoes, which used to fetch between Rs.800 and 1000 per kilogram, has now dropped to between 400-500 rupees per kilogram in the market, according to the Department of Agriculture.
In a discussion chaired by Agriculture and Plantation Industry Minister Mahinda Amaraweera last week, the Minister asked the officials of the Department of Agriculture if they wanted to further expand mango cultivation in the country.
It was also emphasized that thousands of acres of mangoes are cultivated all over the island, especially the TEJC mango variety, which is cultivated for export, and the production may be hampered due to the decrease in the price.
Therefore, the Minister instructed the Department of Agriculture to provide him with a scientific report on whether mango cultivation should be expanded or not.
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