Mangoes might be the sweetest summer fruit, but the story doing rounds on the internet and the media about the harvest this year is sore to the core.

An extreme heatwave and water shortages have immensely affected Pakistan's mango crop. A 50% likely drop in mango production this year due to early onset of summers and high temperatures has not only hit the growers but also the fruit lovers. Waheed Ahmed, head of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants association, told the freshfruitportal.com publication that Pakistan, which has an average mango production of nearly 1.8 million tonnes, expects to produce half the average this year. 

As per freshfruitportal.com, in the words of Ahmad "The heatwave has affected the crop greatly because the temperature in March used to be 28, 29 degree Celsius - but all of a sudden it hit 42. During the current mango season the mid of March witnessed average temperature between 37-42 degree Celsius whereas the average temperature during the previous season was recorded as 34 Celsius. The sudden rise in temperature has severely damaged mango production while irrigation problems, water shortage due to blockage of canals, power load shedding and shortage of diesel during the season have further deepened the climatic effects." 2

Jam Murad, who is a well-reputed mango grower of Basti Habib in Muzzafargarh district known for its harvesting of the king of fruits and where every resident owns a mango orchid narrated the ordeal of mango growers and the adverse impact of climate change on the produce this year. As per gulfnews.com, in the words of Murad, "We could see it coming. The mango plants need a temperature of of around 35 degrees when it is time to bear the fruit. Due to the early onset of intense summer the trees bore 50 percent less flowering than usual. It happened not only in Muzzafargarh; Multan, Rahim Yar Khan but we have heard similar stories from as far as Sindh." 3

Summers in Pakistan brings with it a vibrant culture when people frequently throw mango parties for their friends and families. But in the backdrop of dip in the production, one thing which is sure is that this summer would not be as festive as it was the previous year.