While mango season begins next month, the crop has survived initial shocks due to climate change-driven variations in weather conditions coupled with ongoing water shortages in the canals feeding orchards. It is, however, premature to comment on the fruit’s production prospects.

Growers and researchers agree that recent shocks caused by malformation and attacks by pests, like thrips and hoppers, have not gone down well with mango trees.

A recent field survey report of mango orchards by agriculture research officials has revealed invariably 15 per cent to 25pc malformation in mango trees of Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Matiari, Tando Allahyar and Shaheed Benazirabad districts. All these districts are known for their rich mango production. The team had visited 10 orchards in the Mirpurkhas district, a hub of mangoes; five in Tando Allahyar; six in Hyderabad; and five each in Benazirabad and Matiari in the month of March following pest complaints.

These districts are fed by the Rohri and Nara canal systems (of the Sukkur Barrage), where severe water shortages were reported.

Mango growers struggle with malformed fruit as unpredictable weather, water shortages, and a rise in pests negatively impacts flowering trees

In areas fed by the Nara Canal, the areas have witnessed water shortages since January due to the execution of the Nara Canal lining project.

It was completed in early February, but then came the water shortage, which hit two canal systems as Pakistan’s dams hit dead levels in March. The Rohri and Nara Canals, till April 9, had a flow of 5,400 cusecs, and it only increased gradually to 8,000 cusecs by April 17.

The survey report recommended, as part of management........

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