As the climate changes, South Asia’s farmers rethink how – and what – they grow

UTTAR PRADESH/KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: Across parts of South Asia, changing weather patterns are making harvests increasingly difficult to predict.

The effects are putting pressure on crops, livelihoods and food security.

Some farmers are trying different approaches to adapt to changing conditions.

In northern India, mango growers are changing how they manage their orchards as extreme weather threatens their crop. In neighbouring Pakistan, farmers are turning to olives that can thrive in hot and dry conditions.

PROTECTING INDIA’S KING OF FRUITS

Nearly half of the world’s mangoes are produced in India, and almost all are consumed at home. Only about 1 per cent is exported, making the fruit that reaches overseas markets especially sought after.

But this prized crop is coming under threat from extreme weather.

The northern state of Uttar Pradesh produces more than 20 per cent of India’s mangoes. The flowering season typically begins in the first quarter of the year – a critical stage that determines the size of the harvest.

Mango farmer Ashok Kumar said temperatures between 14°C and 28°C are ideal during this period.

“If the temperature remains in this range, the flowers have a 40-hour window to be pollinated easily,” he told CNA.