People all over the world are happy when Pakistani mangoes are sold on the store shelves. In Pakistan, there are about 25 different types that ripen throughout the summer.

But this year, the excitement may be short-lived, reports AFP. This year’s temperatures have risen sharply in March, a few months earlier than usual. The country was then hit by a heat wave that destroyed some crops and dried up water levels in the canals that farmers rely on for irrigation.

Mango growers say weather conditions this spring have caused problems for mango cultivation and they estimate that two-fifths of production has fallen as a result. Also, the mangoes are not as fresh as they used to be, according to the Norwegian importer.

– We are cursed

– Usually I have 24 mango trucks, but this year I only have 12, says mango farmer Fazle Elahi.

– We’re lost, he added.

Temperatures usually rise in early May. This means that the mangoes are ripe and ready to be picked in June and July.

– Mangoes should actually weigh more than 750 grams, but this year we’ve picked a few smaller ones, says Elahi.

Pakistan is one of the largest mango exporters in the world and harvests up to two million tonnes of mangoes annually. Most of the mango fields are in the southern provinces of Punjab and Sindh.

Heatwave in Europe takes lives and sparks fires

Discolored and stained

In Greenland in Oslo, fruit and vegetable vendors display Pakistani mangoes at the entrances of their shops.

– It’s the season now. Mangoes are very popular, and many people come to pick them up, Erkan Harmankaya told NTB.

He is the co-owner of Real Frukt og Grønt, which is located on the eastern edge of Oslo. Harmankaya said that she did not receive fewer mangoes this year, but that the mangoes that arrived were of poorer quality than usual.

– This year there are more mangoes with spots and discoloration. “We’re sending back in good numbers, and I think there’s a lot of producers who are losing money on mangoes this year,” he said.

Hard to find a good one

Friends Singh Balbir and Sker Afghan both take a trip to Family Food at Tøyen in Oslo. There are also mangoes on display in front of the entrance.

Every summer is Pakistani mango season, and Balbir and Afghan go on a journey to find the best mangoes to take home.

– This year it was extra difficult to find boxes containing only good fruit, Balbir told NTB.

Balbir eats Pakistani mango for dessert. It’s too sweet to eat in regular meals, he says.

After a long search, he and his friend each found a box that they carried under their arms before looking around for other items. Climate experts warn of heatwave in Europe: – Might also affect Norway

Two problems

In Pakistan, farmer Umar Bhugio is worried about this year’s harvest. He owns a mango farm outside Mirpur Khas, a town known locally as the mango town.

Bhugio said it had rained less than half as much as usual on his fields so far this year.

– Mango growers are facing two problems this year: One is the temperature rises early, and the other is water shortage, he said.

Exposed to climate change

Pakistan is one of the countries in the world with the greatest water shortage. The problem is only exacerbated by weak infrastructure and poor resource management.

The country is also ranked as the eighth most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to the global climate risk index.

Thousands of people have died, been displaced or their homes destroyed by floods, droughts and hurricanes in recent years.

– The fact that the temperature rose so early this year increases the water intake of plants. There is competition between different plants to consume the most water, says Abid Suleri. He is the director of the Institute for Sustainable Political Development (SDPI).

(© NTB)