Uncertainty dogs mango business in erstwhile Chittoor district of A.P.
While many of the fruit pulp units still remain closed due to lack of encouraging response in the international market, those that opened their gates to the fruit vendors are also worried about the consequences of accepting more stock than needed, fearing if they would be biting more than their ability to chew.
The district bifurcation of 2022 has left Tirupati with fewer fruit processing units, with a chunk of them having gone to Chittoor district. As a result, the Tirupati mango growers are also going towards Gangadhara Nellore and Puthalapattu in the neighbouring district.
Meanwhile, several farmers who resorted to panic harvesting, much against the government's advice to wait, have dumped their yield in the vicinity of fruit pulp units or near the mandis due to lack of remunerative price.
In view of the spurt in supply and the resultant fall in price, and factories expressing reluctance to procure the fruits led to increased waiting time for the trucks and tractors, which means an additional rent burden for the farmers. When the procurement price hovers between ₹3 and ₹4 a kg and not the ₹8 promised by the government, the farmers are forced to dump the yield to at least avoid incurring additional expenditure.
Minister for Agriculture K. Atchannaidu visited the Damalacheruvu market in Pakala mandal recently to infuse confidence among the farmers, but to no avail.
Tirupati District Collector S. Venkateswar and Joint Collector Shubham Bansal, with the horticultural officials in tow, have been visiting the factories, mandis and the ramps, the three major procurement points, to ensure that the farmers are not taken for a ride. Hover, the price has not seen an encouraging rise.
With the change in season likely to bring in gusty winds in a fortnight, the farmers who are yet to harvest Totapuri by paying heed to the government's advice, are worried over the possibility of the fruit withering.
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Hans India
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Tirupati: Totapuri mango farmers across the erstwhile Chittoor district heaved a sigh of relief, with the Central government stepping in to share the financial burden of the Rs 4 per kg subsidy announced earlier by the Andhra Pradesh government. The move has brought hope to thousands of cultivators who have been battling poor market prices and mounting losses through the season. The Centre has formally approved the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for Totapuri mangoes on Tuesday and will contribute Rs 1.86 per kg. The State Government has matched that contribution, taking the combined subsidy to Rs 3.72 per kg. Since the State had already promised a Rs 4 per kg support, it will bear the remaining Rs 0.28, ensuring farmers receive the full benefit. The announcement follows a request from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had proactively declared the subsidy even before farmer protests surfaced. Citing the Centre's earlier decision to support mango growers in Karnataka under the MIS, the Chief Minister urged for a similar relief package for Andhra farmers which was now accepted by the Central government. 'This subsidy is a game-changer. We had no bargaining power in the market. The prices were crashing, and many were preparing to dump their produce. Now at least we will be able to recover our investment,' said R Lakshmi Narayana, a Totapuri grower from Puthalapattu. An estimated 3.25 lakh tonne mangoes have already been procured in the Chittoor district. With 15,000 tonne still expected to be harvested, the total eligible quantity may reach 3.4 lakh tonne. The financial outlay for the subsidy is projected at Rs 136 crore, with the Centre bearing Rs 63.24 crore and the state Rs 72.76 crore. In Tirupati and Annamayya districts together, close to one lakh tonne have been processed, with the Centre contributing Rs 18.6 crore and the State Rs 21.4 crore. Altogether, the total support for Totapuri growers in the region is expected to exceed Rs 176 crore, Rs 81.84 crore from the Centre and Rs 94.16 crore from the state government. Importantly, the state government has chosen not to impose restrictions present in the Centre's MIS guidelines implemented in Karnataka, such as capping support at five tonne per hectare and two hectares per farmer. This flexible approach has allowed several large-scale farmers to receive subsidies of up to Rs 2 lakh, compared to a maximum of Rs 40,000 per farmer in Karnataka. With mango arrivals now dropping to around 1,000 tonne per day from a peak of 10,000–11,000 tonne earlier, officials are focusing on verifying beneficiary lists prepared through Rythu Seva Kendras. Disbursement of subsidy is expected to begin by August 15. Officials have termed the Centre's response as timely and effective. 'This is a rare example of Centre-State collaboration where farmers are the real beneficiaries,' said a senior agriculture official, noting that the intervention could set a positive precedent for cooperative farm policies in times of market distress.
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