When Does Alphonso Season Start and End

Every year, the same question starts circulating in late February: has Alphonso season started yet? The honest answer is that it depends on more than the calendar. Weather, flowering timing, and harvest region all shift the window from one year to the next, sometimes by several weeks.

Here's what actually determines when Alphonso arrives, and how to read the signs each season.

The typical window

In a normal year, Alphonso season runs from April through June, with the earliest fruit sometimes reaching markets in late March and the tail end of the season stretching into early July for lower-lying orchards that flower later. May is generally considered peak season, when supply, quality, and price all hit their most consistent balance.

That window isn't fixed, though. It shifts based on when the trees flower, which happens in December and January, and flowering timing depends heavily on winter temperatures and rainfall patterns along Maharashtra's Konkan coast.

Why the season shifts year to year

Alphonso trees need a cool, dry period in December and January to trigger flowering. A warmer or wetter than usual winter delays or disrupts flowering, which pushes the entire harvest window later by two to four weeks. Unseasonal rain during flowering or early fruit-set, sometimes called "mango rain" locally, can also damage flowers and reduce that year's yield, which is part of why Alphonso prices swing noticeably from one season to the next.

Growers and local mandis in Ratnagiri and Devgad typically have a clearer sense of that year's actual timeline by late February, once flowering patterns are visible on the trees.

Ratnagiri, Devgad, and Karnataka don't ripen on the exact same schedule

Fruit from the Konkan coast, covering Ratnagiri and Devgad, tends to lead the season, generally arriving from late March or early April. Karnataka's Alphonso, sometimes sold as Badami, and other regional variants typically follow a few weeks behind, extending overall Alphonso availability into June and occasionally later depending on that region's own weather that year.

This staggered timing is actually useful for buyers. If Konkan Alphonso sells out or gets expensive early in the season, other regional Alphonso becomes available as a reasonable alternative later on.

What early-season and late-season fruit tends to look like

Early-season Alphonso, harvested in late March and early April, is often smaller and slightly less consistent in sweetness, since the trees are still ramping up production. Peak-season fruit in May typically offers the best combination of size, sweetness, and consistent quality. Late-season Alphonso, into June and beyond, can sometimes be smaller again or show more variation, as orchards move through their final harvest rounds.

None of this means early or late Alphonso isn't worth buying. It just means expectations should adjust slightly depending on where in the season you're ordering.

How to plan your order around the season

If you want the most consistent quality, aim for the May peak window. If you want to be among the first to get Alphonso each year and don't mind some size variation, watch for early-season availability starting in late March. If you missed the Konkan peak, Karnataka-grown Alphonso in June is a reasonable way to keep the season going a bit longer.

Check current-season status and expected arrival dates on the Alphonso mango page, or see the full year's harvest calendar across all varieties on the mango season guide.