Farmers in Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan belt are reporting massive losses of the premium Alphonso mango crop [1].
The devastation of this high-value fruit threatens the livelihoods of thousands of growers and disrupts the supply of one of India's most prized agricultural exports.
The losses occurred during the 2024-25 harvest year [2]. Officials and observers said a combination of erratic weather patterns disrupted the critical flowering and fruit-set stages of the mangoes. These conditions included an extended monsoon, sudden cold waves, and significant temperature swings between day and night [1, 3].
Temperature volatility was further exacerbated by hotter-than-usual conditions during April and May [1, 3]. Experts said these extreme weather patterns are likely linked to an El Niño event [1, 3].
While some reports attribute the crisis solely to extreme heat and weather volatility [2], other analyses said that market distortions have converged with climate stress to deepen the economic impact on farmers [1].
Despite the regional crisis in the Konkan belt, the broader national production remains significant. India harvested 28 million metric tonnes of mangoes overall during the 2024-25 season [2]. However, the Alphonso variety is particularly sensitive to the environmental instability seen in Maharashtra.
The Konkan region is the primary hub for this specific variety, making the localized weather failures a significant blow to the premium mango economy [1].
“Farmers in Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan belt are reporting massive losses of the premium Alphonso mango crop.”
The crisis in the Konkan belt highlights the vulnerability of monoculture-dependent regional economies to climate volatility. As the Alphonso mango is a premium product with high market value, the convergence of El Niño-driven weather extremes and market distortions creates a precarious financial situation for small-scale farmers who cannot easily pivot to other crops.
