MUMBAI, March 9 -- Alphonso lovers - and who isn't one? - may have to hunt harder for their seasonal indulgence this year, with erratic weather threatening to wipe out up to 80% of the crop in Maharashtra's Alphonso heartland. According to a report with the state agriculture department, changes in weather such as heat stress, sudden cold spells and unexpected cloudy conditions have adversely impacted mango orchards in the Konkan region, the country's biggest producer of the world-famous Alphonso mango, or Hapus, also known as the 'King of Mangoes'. The report estimates an 80-85% crop loss in the two coastal districts of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, which account for most of the Konkan's Alphonso yield. "Weather conditions due to climate change like the cold wave in December affected pollination, which resulted in damage at the flowering stage. Later, due to cloudy conditions, humidity affected the flowering stage. As a result, production of Alphonso mangoes will fall by up to 85% of average production," states report, a copy of which is with HT. A survey was conducted in these two districts after mango growers there complained that adverse weather conditions were disrupting the mango's flowering cycle. The survey was led by a team of officers from the state agriculture department and scientists from the Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth in Dapoli. In 2025, the state produced 5.19 lakh tonnes of mangoes, with Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg together accounting for an average 250,845 tonnes. Their share of Alphonso mangoes was 225,756 tonnes. Now, with an expected loss of about 80%, mango growers will be seriously impacted. Mango cultivation is a major source of income for a large number of farmers in the two districts. Vivek Bhide, president of the Konkan Mango Growers and Sellers' Association, warned that the entire supply and value chain will be disrupted as the crop has high demand in the domestic as well as international markets. "Mango growers from the Konkan and others who depend on the mango economy, such as packaging material suppliers, transporters and exporters, will be impacted by the heavy losses in the crop. There are more than 60 units in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts involved in mango processing such as manufacturing pulp and other food products," said Bhide. Anand Doke, mango farmer from Devgad in Sindhudurg said farmers are at the mercy of climate change and there I little the y can do. "Last year, my Alphonso crop yielded around 9,000 boxes of five dozen each. This year, it will be around 1,500 boxes," he said.....