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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Totapuri mango farmers to get Rs 176 cr subsidy from Centre & state
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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AMARAVATI: Mango farmers in Andhra Pradesh are reeling under severe financial distress due to crashing prices linked to variety of reasons and limited procurement of the Totapuri variety, a prominent cash crop in Rayalaseema district. They now suggest the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of the Lord Venkateswara Temple, could come to their rescue by procuring the fruits. Despite a bumper crop in financial year 2024-25, farmers in Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts are struggling as pulp industries allegedly refuse to buy sufficient quantities, citing reduced market demand and export challenges. "Farmers don't want political entanglements, but genuine solutions to protect livelihoods and ensure fair prices," said M Bhanu Prakash, a mango farmer from Tirupati. He noted that the promised Rs 4 per kg support price from the TDP-led government has been delayed, worsening hardships with rising transportation and labour costs. "This year's production reached nearly 1.5 lakh tonne, compared to last year's 90,000 tonne, leading to oversupply problems and reduced market demand," Prakash told PTI. Prakash demanded a Mango Board, questioning why no organised structure supports mango farmers despite the scale and significance of production in Andhra Pradesh. Minister of State for Rural Development, Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani said that the Centre reimbursed Rs 130 crore under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) recognising Andhra Pradesh's proactive efforts to protect mango farmers during the severe market crisis. "A total of Rs 260 crore was released at the rate of Rs 4 per kg by the state government and Rs 130 crore has been reimbursed from the Centre under the MIS," said Pemmasani in a post on X on Tuesday.
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VIJAYAWADA: In a significant boost for Totapuri mango farmers in Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has greenlit the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) following a proactive request from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The Centre's approval, communicated via a letter dated July 20, 2025, to the Special Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Department, promises much-needed support to growers grappling with plummeting market prices. Under this initiative, 1.62 lakh metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes will be procured at a support price of Rs 1,493.73 per quintal, with the financial burden shared equally between the Centre and the State, offering a lifeline to distressed farmers. Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani took to X to express deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan for endorsing a Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) scheme within the MIS framework for the 2025-26 season. The scheme, detailed in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's documentation, covers 1.62 lakh metric tonnes, and establishes a Minimum Intervention Price (MIP) of Rs 1,493.73 per quintal, with a maximum support of Rs 372.68. The cost-sharing model, split 50:50 between the Centre and the State, includes direct benefit transfer (DBT) to farmers to mitigate price falls.
