NAVI MUMBAI, April 14 -- Unseasonal rains across the Konkan belt have severely disrupted the Alphonso mango season this year slashing production to nearly 25% of the usual levels. The sharp drop in yield has also triggered a supply crunch. The disruption is due to unseasonal rains during the crucial flowering and fruit-setting stages between late December and February, followed by intermittent showers in March. In addition, the season has also been delayed by nearly two to three weeks, further shrinking the availability of Alphonsos in the market. At the Vashi Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), the scale of disruption is evident. Typically, the APMC sees the arrival of nearly 100,000 boxes of mangoes every day during mid-April. However, this year inflows are down to about 40,000 boxes daily. Nikhul Jadhav, a senior commission agent at the market said, "Even if they improve slightly, they won't reach normal levels." The reduced inflow has led to the rise of mango prices, with wholesale rates of Alphonso mangoes currently ranging between Rs.2,000 and Rs.6,000 per box, with premium-grade fruit fetching Rs.5,500-Rs.6,000 per box. "Good quality fruit is limited, so it is getting premium rates," said Vijay Bhende, a trader. Compared to last year, prices have risen sharply across both wholesale and retail markets. Alphonso mangoes that were typically sold for Rs.1,200 to Rs.3,500 per box last year are now selling at significantly higher levels. Retail prices are at Rs.800 to Rs.1,500 per dozen in Mumbai's markets, and premium prices reaching up to Rs.1,800-Rs.2,000 per dozen, well above last year's Rs.400-Rs.800 range. At the same time, traders have noted a distortion in price behaviour due to export disruptions. "Small-sized mangoes usually go for export, especially to Gulf countries," Bhende said. "Now that exports have slowed, these are coming into the local market, where demand is low, pulling down the overall price." Another trader added, "At current rates, especially for smaller fruit, farmers are struggling to even cover transport costs." To bridge the supply gap, mangoes from southern states have started arriving in larger volumes. These are selling at lower prices, Badami at Rs.80-Rs.110 per kg and Lalbagh at Rs.70-Rs.100 per kg, while other varieties are selling at Rs.100 and Rs.200 per kg. The sharp fall in production is expected to significantly shorten the season too. Supplies from Devgad and Sindhudurg are likely to decline sharply after May 10, while fruit from the Ratnagiri belt may remain available only until around May 25. Mango cultivators across Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have reported substantial crop losses due to the erratic rainfall. Prakash Govekar, an orchard owner from Sindhudurg, said, "Even though prices are higher, we are not benefiting much because yields are very low," The export of premium Alphonso mangoes has also suffered due to logistical issues....