There was a time when the arrival of Alphonso mangoes seemed as predictable as summer.Every year, as the temperatures rise and school holidays begin, crates of the golden fruit start appearing in markets across the country. For many families, the Alphonso mango was more than a seasonal indulgence. They used to remind us that summer has come.This year, however, the weather has felt different.For Ratnagiri growers, the season started with hopes and ended with disappointment. The abundant flowers initially raised hopes of a bumper crop, but a combination of unseasonal cold, fungal attacks, pollution and subsequent heat waves dramatically reduced yields, leading to a shortage of one of India’s most prized fruits in the market.This shortage has created two parallel challenges. The first is obvious: Farmers are struggling to meet demand. The second is to protect the identity of Ratnagiri Hapus.While Alphonso mangoes are grown in the Konkan belt and beyond, Ratnagiri and Deogarh have received Geographical Indication (GI) status for their distinctive variety, which is prized for its aroma, flavor and texture. Growers say that in a year when actual supplies have fallen sharply, visually similar mangoes from other regions are increasingly being sold under the Ratnagiri Alphonso label.The concern is not competition but confusion.In this season of shortage, growers say varieties appearing under the Ratnagiri Hapus name are rapidly entering the market, blurring the line between genuine GI-certified fruit and cheaper alternatives. For farmers, the bigger fear is that consumers may eventually stop recognizing what makes the real Ratnagiri Alphonso different.
Season of Hope vs. Uncertainty
Mohammed Hussain Dhanshe, a farmer and businessman from Bankot in Ratnagiri who runs Dhanshe Farms, said the problems started during the flowering stage.“Normally, flowering starts from October 20. But this year, flowering was delayed due to rain in November,” he said.According to Dhanshe, alphonso cultivation depends largely on stable seasonal rhythms.
“For a month, the tree should not get water to bring flowers. We have to make the tree thirsty,” he explained.After late flowering, farmers initially expected a good harvest.Dhanshe said, “The flowers came and were very nice. It looked like there would be lots of mangoes.” “But there was a fungal attack in the second week of January. It was very deep and persistent,” he said.Many growers struggled to save their orchards.Dhanshe, who described himself as an “educated farmer”, said his losses remained low due to intensive fungicide and nutritional management. He said their awareness towards the use of drugs and pesticides helped them reduce losses, however, farmers have suffered losses amounting to 80-85 per cent this season.The same point was echoed by Prasad Jadhav, a generational Alphonso farmer from Ratnagiri, whose family has been growing Hapus mangoes for more than 3 generations.“We are a group of farmers. We keep interacting with each other regarding development and what we need. The yield this year was very disappointing, it was a matter of concern. 80-85 per cent of the mango buds in my orchard never blossomed due to cold. And it’s not just me, all farmers face similar losses due to the weather,” he said.
His cousin Lahu Jadhav blamed both the cold weather and industrial pollution.“Pollution was very high this year. It was very cold from November to February. Small fruits would come and then fall,” Jadhav said.He estimated that orchards that previously operated at full productivity have reduced production to only 30-40 percent. Prasad also explained how the subsequent heat waves internally damaged the quality of the fruits.He explained the need for delicate care of Alfonso. “Alphonso is just as delicate as a common egg. It requires constant, careful attention,” he said. “But due to the heat, the mangoes became spongy from inside. Some were completely charred. In our local dialect, we say they ‘blew’ (meaning they were ruined before they could be cured).
The shortage that changed the market
A sharp decline in actual Alphonso supply led to a dramatic increase in prices in wholesale markets during the early part of the season. “I have never seen such rates in my life,” Dhanshe said.According to him, wholesale prices of early season premium fruits briefly touched Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,800 per dozen.But the shortage also created another market phenomenon: the rapid proliferation of similar-looking mangoes sold under the Alphonso label. Growers say consumers in major cities are often unable to differentiate between genuine GI-certified Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes and seemingly similar varieties grown elsewhere.“People are selling Karnataka mangoes as Ratnagiri and Deogarh mangoes,” Jadhav said.Another producer described how shortages encouraged relabeling.“The brokers from the agencies to which we sell mangoes are meant to know which mangoes they are buying, but no one admits that they are selling Karnataka mangoes. They use the name Ratnagiri because it gives better rates,” said Lahu Jadhav.This issue is particularly important as Alphonso commands one of the highest price premiums among Indian mangoes. In wholesale and retail markets, consumers are often purchasing based on the reputation attached to the name rather than tracing the origin.GI-certified Alphonso grower and trader Prashant Pawle, who sources mangoes from 48 villages in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, said this year’s shortage has compounded the problem.“There was competition from similar mangoes from Karnataka. Many people took advantage of the shortage,” he said. Pawley stressed that the concern is not about the quality of mangoes grown in other states, “the issue is authenticity of origin.”
Alphonsi Mango Prices: Normal Season vs 2026
According to him, many consumers who order Alphonso mangoes online or buy them in cities are unaware of this difference.“When people taste the real Ratnagiri Alphonso, they understand why it is called the king of mangoes. When you eat it and its aroma does not leave your hands for 1-2 hours even after washing your hands, then you realize the authenticity of Devgad Alphonso. And then you want to buy it again,” he said.
Alphonso’s identity in danger
Farmers say the bigger concern is what a shock like this weather could mean for Alphonso. The Jadhav brothers say their family is carrying on Alphonso’s farming legacy, saying they have never seen weather like this.Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso enjoy decades of consumer loyalty. But this year the shortage has decimated the customer base. Prices have increased due to mismatch between demand and supply. However, to maintain the return rate, farmers are spending their own money so as not to lose their loyal customers.“If we don’t meet the demand, customers won’t return to us. Of course, we don’t have the option to explain the crisis,” says Prasad Jadhav. They won’t even understand the increase in prices because they have options.He explains that the market does not accept the crisis because they cannot afford to lose customers because of Alphonso, who is not from Ratnagiri. The crisis is about the safety of a product whose reputation depends almost entirely on trust.Pawley said, “If someone keeps eating a different mango sold as Alphonso, eventually they will come to believe that it tastes like the real Alphonso.”Farmers argue that this change could weaken long-term demand for genuine GI-certified fruits.The concern increases even more in foreign markets.The Gulf, UK and parts of Europe remain major destinations for premium Alphonso exports. But this year, the Middle East conflict disrupted cargo movement and delays increased.“We export to many countries, but this year the material started being unloaded several times,” Pawley said. Because Alphonso mangoes spoil quickly, quality decreases rapidly with delays.“After a delay of two days, ripening starts and the mangoes go bad,” he said.The complexity of international exports has also contributed to low exports. Without strong logistics support, small exporters often avoid overseas shipments altogether. “For the UK, we need a treatment process. For the US, there is a separate water treatment process. There are different packaging standards in Japan,” Prasad explained.As exports of genuine Alphonso have slowed or become more expensive, traders say alternative varieties are gaining more space in global retail markets. This creates a dangerous cycle for the root fruit.Consumers paying a premium price overseas may believe they are experiencing authentic Alphonso mangoes, while actually tasting a lower-cost alternative marketed under the same identity.Over time, growers fear this could weaken the premium reputation built by Ratnagiri and Deogarh Alphonso mangoes over decades.
Problem worsening due to climate stress
The identity crisis emerging around Alphonso mangoes is closely linked to climate instability.This season was marked by untimely rains, fluctuating winter temperatures, fungal outbreaks and sudden heat waves within a few months. One thing the farmers had in common was the sensitivity of the flowering and fruiting stages of mango to temperature changes.Even small fluctuations can affect pollination, fruit retention, and fruit quality.Farmers have taken this a step further, able to rely on forecasting tools, fungicides and intensive orchard management to maintain crop stability. While Dhanshe said proper scientific intervention made a big difference this year, Pawley explained how his experience in IT helped him create an AI-incorporated system that increases the organic yield of his mango orchards.“If the environment is healthy, one can grow good mangoes. But in emergency situations, farmers should know how to save the crop,” Dhanshe said.Pawley’s company has started experimenting with AI-enabled orchard management, using cameras, sensors and IoT systems to monitor crop conditions.“We analyze what each tree needs, whether it’s nutrition, moisture or protection,” he said.But such technology remains expensive and inaccessible to many small producers.As climate pressures increase, production instability may become more frequent, increasing reliance on substitute supply chains.This, in turn, may increase the difference between authentic Alphonso mangoes and the mangoes consumers get in retail markets.
Fighting to save a legacy
In Ratnagiri and Deogarh, many growers see themselves as guardians of more than just a crop.They are preserving a heritage that has been built over generations and sustained by faith. Some people continue harvesting before sunrise using techniques passed down from their families. Others are investing in AI-enabled farming, traceability systems and direct-to-consumer platforms to protect quality and improve resilience.Yet despite technological changes, the concern remains the same.Climate instability is making production increasingly unpredictable. Also, the shortage is creating opportunities for alternatives to enter the market under the Alphonso name.The challenge for farmers is no longer just producing enough fruit.This is ensuring that consumers in Mumbai, Delhi, Dubai or London still know what real Ratnagiri Hapus tastes like.“The problem is authenticity,” Powley said. “If someone keeps eating different mangoes sold as Alphonso, eventually they will come to believe that this is what the real Alphonso tastes like.”Producers fear that this is a big risk.Bad season can be avoided. Weather shocks can be controlled. The markets can recover.But if consumers lose confidence in the meaning of the name Alphonso, rebuilding that trust may prove far more difficult.As climate pressures increase and supply chains become more complex, Ratnagiri growers fear that the biggest threat may not be poor harvests, but a future in which India’s most famous mango is slowly losing the distinctive identity that made it iconic in the first place.
