Drought

This year has been very difficult for us. Only a little more than half of the usual rainfall fell – instead of the normal 550+ mm, we received just over 300 mm. The rainy season started more than a month late and ended after only about two and a half months. There were only three proper rainfalls; everything else was just brief showers.

During the dry season, many fruit trees began to show signs of stress (entire branches suddenly died off). In the end, we lost several hundred fruit trees, including many mango trees.

All of this is a severe setback for us. Last year, we were able to sell more than 10,000 mangoes, and we had hoped to sell a similar amount or even more this year.

In the entire surrounding area, no one was able to harvest anything substantial. Because of this, we started a "hunger project" where, over a period of five months, we employ local people on the farm for a week at a time so that they can buy at least some food with the money they earn.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated to this extra project!