COVID-19 lockdown: Mango farmers worried in UP's Malihabad

Amid nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19, mango farmers in Malihabad say they are worried about their business.

"Compared to last year, there has been 25 per cent less production of crop due to rain in February and March. Now due to lockdown, there is a shortage of labourers," said one of them.

"Government should provide us with facilities so that mangoes can be transported easily in India and abroad," he added.

Another mango farmer said, "The production should have been more this time compared to 2019, but this has not happened. People should follow the guidelines by central government, otherwise, it will become a big problem if the virus spreads further."

Besides Malihabad, the situation is similar in Pune, Maharashtra.

Earlier, Balraj Bhosle, a Pune wholesale dealer, said, "The Alphanso business has been severely affected due to the countrywide lockdown. Half of the stock that we have is not being sold as there are no customers. Though there is the demand of mangoes in the market, the fear of coronavirus is stopping people from stepping outside their houses."

Traders at Pune APMC market had ordered the world-famous Alphonso mangoes from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district. But due to the lockdown and voluntary closure of APMC market, the mango cartons were lying in godowns.