Heavy rains in the Indian pomegranate growing region of Kushtagi in the Koppal district have cause widespread blossom drop, putting doubts on the availability of supplies for export.
The 10,000ha of pomegranates in Kushtagi, in the Indian state of Karnataka, are in the flowering phase at the moment, but growers are now worried about even covering costs this season, according to the Times of India.
“Now, I'm worried whether we can recover the cost incurred on crop maintenance which could be between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000 (US$863-1,079) per acre,” farmer Amaresh Shetty told the Times.
The flower drop meant that not only would crop volumes be significantly reduced, much of the remainder would not be of export quality, according to Banglore-based exporter Sewasingh.
Indian pomegranates are usually exported to Europe and the Middle East between December and April in a window before the availability of Spanish and Iranian pomegranates.
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