King of fruits, mango, will not come cheap this year. Weather vagaries and a certain fall in production in Andhra Pradesh, one of the big mango producing states, will cause a price rise this season.

Horticulture department officials said the production in Andhra Pradesh could be lower by at least 50 per cent, following unprecedented heavy rains in October.

This has led to active vegetative phase, resulting in delayed flowering in the state. The delay is prolonged and ranged up to two months in several districts.

The recent hailstorms and rains further worsened the situation, with mango farmers reporting losses in several areas.

Delayed and poor arrivals in the main markets have shown a sharp increase in prices compared to last year.

Mangoes, which generally flower in December, flowered in late January this season. As a result, production is expected to fall significantly in almost all the 13 important mango-growing districts in Andhra Pradesh.

The state grows mangoes in 3.9 lakh hectares, with an average productivity of 6-8 tonnes per hectare.

While heavy rains in winter delayed flowering, heavy temperatures in early summer threaten to hamper the development process of the fruit. This will result in fruit drop, officials said.

In Krishna district, one of the key mango growing districts, fruit output is 25-30 per cent less compared to last year. Officials expect a drop of 30-35 per cent in the yield this year here.

Farmers in Vizianagaram district seem to be the worst hit. Flowering in the groves had begun only in the first week of February, indicating a drastic fall in yield.