How do you modernise mango farming?

"Even in good years, mangoes are considered one of the most difficult fruit crops to cultivate. They depend on a delicate balance of climate, tree physiology, and farming techniques. Getting that balance right is crucial for India, the world's biggest producer of mangoes, where 23 million tonnes of the fruit is harvested every year - almost a fifth of India's total fruit output."

""Mango farming has become unpredictable," says Upendra Singh, who farms 16 acres of land in Malihabad, in the northwestern state of Uttar Pradesh. He is the fourth generation of mango farmers in his family, and started work on the farm when he was 12-years-old. "Seasons no longer follow a pattern. Flowering, fruiting, and harvesting all shift every year because of climate change," says Singh, now 62."

Mango cultivation in India relies on a fragile balance of climate, tree physiology, and farming techniques, producing about 23 million tonnes yearly. Many growers face unpredictable seasons, with flowering, fruiting, and harvesting shifting because of climate change. Input costs for pesticides, labour, and irrigation have risen while yields have fallen, reducing farm profitability. Almost 700 mango varieties are cultivated regionally across India. Erratic weather such as early flowering, strong winds, rapid maturity causing waste, and prolonged low temperatures delaying flowering have increased pressure on production and made management more challenging for farmers.

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