Chittoor, Annamayya mango growers fear drought, rainfall deficit likely to affect yields in 2027

A mango orchard at Penumur in Chittoor district. | Photo credit: File photo

Harsh dry season and severe lack of rainfall due to El Niño conditions have put mango orchards in Chittoor and Annamayya districts in dire straits as farmers prepare their trees for the upcoming flowering season. The soil is rapidly drying out and the local water table is under enormous pressure, and mango growers fear that the prolonged dry season will destroy the 2027 season’s flowers, fruit set and overall yields.

The numbers behind the rainfall deficit are alarming. Chittoor received only 445.7 mm of rain against its usual 677 mm — a 34.2% deficiency. Meanwhile, the situation is even upset in Annamayya district, where a mere 302.5 mm was recorded against the normal 574 mm, with a 47.3% deficit.

Chittoor district alone has roughly 51,736 hectares under Totapuri mango and boasts an expected production capacity of 5.17 million tonnes. Considering the wider belt comprising Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and Kadapa, Totapuri cultivation is spread over nearly 90,000 hectares, with nearly 50,000 farmers producing an estimated 9 million tonnes annually.

Major maga growing centers include Bangarupalem, Puthalapattu, Aragonda, Thavanampalle, Puttur and Palamaner in Chittoor district; Rayachoti and Rajampet in Annamayya district and Koduru Railway in Tirupati district.

Kothur Babu, president of Chittoor District Mango Growers Association, said traditional mango cultivation follows a fixed calendar. Once the May-August harvest ends, farmers immediately dive into pruning, cleaning orchards, applying manure and managing the irrigation that remains. Flowering usually develops between December and February, setting the stage for pollination and fruit set.

“Although some dry weather is actually necessary just before flowering begins, severe and prolonged water stress will starve the trees and stop uniform flowering,” he said.

Chittoor is a vibrant hub for mango pulp production as thousands of local processing unit workers, drivers and transporters rely on a steady flow of harvested fruit. “If this intense water crisis continues, Chittoor could easily see a decline of 10 to 20 percent from its usual 5.17 million tonnes. The production loss could be more than one million tonnes in 2027,” said an official of the Annamayya district horticulture department.

Meanwhile, mango growers said they desperately need rain in the coming weeks to save their trees and protect the traditional annual economy.

Published – 11 Nov 2026 21:32 IST