Mango cultivation in the former Chittoor district is facing a big crisis in 2026. The area where mangoes are grown has fallen a lot after the district was split into Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya. For years, the district was famous for mango farming, with over 100,000 hectares dedicated to the crop. Mango was called the “King of Commercial Crops” because it survived tough weather and gave steady returns. This year, the flowering of mango trees is delayed by nearly two months. Normally, raw mangoes reach markets by March during Ugadi festival for making ‘Mamidi Pachhadi’. But officials say early arrivals are unlikely now. Horticulture department officials blame unseasonal rains in eastern areas and cold, uneven temperatures in western parts for disrupting flowering. Delayed flowering sometimes still gives good results, like in 2025. But before the COVID-19 pandemic, the district had crop failures because flowers were weak and fruits did not hold well. Many farmers are worried because in 2025, there was over 80% excess production. This led to a price crash, with mangoes selling at ₹3 per kg or less, hurting farmers badly. The State government had to step in to support prices at ₹4 per kg and give a ₹4 per kg subsidy. Still, farmers say this is too little compared to rising costs. Chittibabu, a mango farmer near Chittoor, said, “With the gradual shrinking of mango cultivation lands and adverse conditions impacting the regular flowering cycle, volume is no longer on our side.” Officials now predict that yields in 2026 could fall below six tonnes per hectare, down from the earlier forecast of eight tonnes. This spells a tough year ahead for mango growers in the region.