The lack of a profitable market price and unpredictable yields have driven many mango cultivators in the Santebennur region of Channagiri taluk, a prime mango-growing belt in Davangere district, to transition to arecanut farming. Over the past decade, mango plantation in the region has dropped drastically from 25,000 hectares to just 7,773 hectares, and the decline is expected to continue.
Officials from the Horticulture Department note that Badami mangoes, popularly called Karnataka’s Alphonso, are extensively grown in Santebennur. However, this variety exhibits an alternate bearing pattern—yielding abundantly one year and producing less the next—making it financially unviable for many farmers. Arecanut cultivation, offering more consistent profits, has become a preferred choice.
Raghavendra Prasad, Deputy Director of the Davangere District Horticulture Department, stated that besides Channagiri, mango is cultivated on around 30 hectares in Honnali and Nyamathi. But due to frequent price drops, growers are increasingly shifting to arecanut, which fetches ₹40,000 per quintal year-round, whereas mango prices fluctuate between ₹80–120 per kg.
Meanwhile, organic mango farming is gaining recognition. Last year, authorities aimed to certify 400 organic mango farmers but found only 200 meeting the criteria. Certified growers now offer organically cultivated mangoes.
Swamy, a local farmer, mentioned that those once cultivating mangoes on over 10 acres have downsized to 2–3 acres, replacing the rest with arecanut plantations. This shift is evident across Channagiri’s mango-farming villages.
Read Also: