Ranchi, March 9: The king of fruits is all set to play hide and seek with its ardent admirers in the state this year.

According to agricultural scientists, who predict a poor growth of mango this year, people will have a tough time searching for their favourite fruit.

K.K. Jha, associate professor of Horticulture at Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), said: “This year is the ‘off season’ for mangoes in the state. The growth of mangoes will be less than one-fourth of that compared to last year.”

“Mango grows well every alternate year. Last year there was a good growth. So we knew that the numbers would go down this year. But the present condition is really alarming. Mango lovers will be very disappointed this season,” he said.

Scientists said mango cultivation in the state is sufferingdue to the neglect of the growers and absence of a proper plan.

“There is no doubt about the fact that Jharkhand’s soil and climatic conditions are well-suited for the cultivation of mangoes. But there is lack of seriousness among people, right from the farmers to the government. There are no big orchards for mango cultivation in the state.

“States like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have 100-acre plantations. But Jharkhand does not have a single orchard of this size. The biggest ones are just 10 acres to 30 acres in size,” said a scientist of BAU.

Jha also said: “In Jharkhand, the biggest orchards are located in Sahebganj. Besides, they are also grown in places like Lohardaga and Namkum. The main reason behind the poor cultivation of mangoes is the ignorance of the farmers, who do not know much about the fruit and its cultivation.”

The BAU officials said they are trying to increase the number of mango orchards in the state.

An official said, “Right now our primary concern is to increase the number of orchards in the state. We are not carrying out any research on the fruit at present. We have approached the agricultural department to sanction funds in order to set up some orchards.”

The officials said they would leave no stone unturned to increase the cultivation of mango in the state.

As Jha pointed out: “We are ready to face any challenges. But the government has to help. It is going to take time before the Jharkhand can match Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in mango cultivation.”

But that is for the years to come. As far as this year is concerned, there will be a scarcity of mangoes in the market.