● Does Chandrababu not care about the plight of Mango Farmers?
● Totapuri Mango Farmers left in distress as Prices Crash
Totapuri mango farmers are reeling under a severe crisis for the second consecutive year, with the coalition government failing to ensure remunerative prices or provide timely intervention. Farmers say the government’s lack of planning has forced them to dump mangoes or sell them at throwaway prices. It has also failed to secure nearly Rs.300 crore in pending payments owed to Totapuri growers by mango pulp industries. Critics say the government springs into action only after farmers take to the streets, resorting to temporary measures instead of providing a permanent solution.
Under Chandrababu Naidu’s government, farmers cultivating virtually every major crop are facing price distress. Last year, mango farmers dumped their produce on roads after failing to receive remunerative prices. This year, the situation has worsened, with Totapuri mango prices crashing to Rs.2–4 per kg in many places. A government with foresight would have prepared an action plan well before the harvesting season to prevent such losses. Instead, while publicly claiming to prioritise farmers’ welfare, it has sided with middlemen and traders, leaving farmers to bear the burden.
No Remunerative Prices for Any Variety
Andhra Pradesh has nearly nine lakh acres under mango cultivation. Though an initial production of 4.5 million tonnes was projected this season, unseasonal rains and strong winds reduced the expected yield to below three million tonnes. Farmers report yields of only 10–15 tonnes per hectare. Heavy frost triggered widespread fungal disease, leaving even premium table varieties, including Banganapalli, without buyers, except for covered fruit.
Totapuri mangoes are cultivated on 2.2 lakh acres across Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts. Last year, pulp industries almost completely stopped procuring fruit from these districts, causing heavy losses. While table-grade Totapuri fetched Rs.25,000–30,000 per tonne during the 2023-24 season, prices crashed to just Rs.4,000–5,000 per tonne last year. Farmers staged widespread protests, dumped thousands of tonnes of mangoes on roads, and organised demonstrations and road blockades outside processing factories.
Y.S. Jagan’s Intervention for Mango Farmers
The YSR Congress Party and farmer organisations stood by mango growers during the crisis. After Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced his visit to the Bangarupalem mango market in support of farmers, the government stepped in and announced a procurement price of Rs.12,000 per tonne. However, when processing factories refused to purchase at that rate, the government revised the formula, asking factories to pay Rs.8,000 per tonne while promising a Rs.4,000 per tonne subsidy.
Even then, factories ignored the government order and continued purchasing at only Rs.4,000–6,000 per tonne. Though the government initially estimated that Rs.260 crore would be required for the subsidy, it eventually released only Rs.173 crore after several months. Meanwhile, repeated appeals to recover over Rs.300 crore in pending dues from processing companies went unanswered. Many farmers, unable to sustain losses, uprooted thousands of acres of mango orchards after last season.
The Same Crisis Continues This Year
Around 60,000 Totapuri mango farmers hoped conditions would improve this season, but the situation has remained unchanged. Processing factories functioning as a syndicate have continued dictating prices, while the government has failed to ensure fair procurement. Farmers say review meetings have become routine exercises with no meaningful outcome. As a result, Totapuri prices have once again collapsed.
Under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), the Central Government procured 1.3 lakh tonnes of mangoes from Karnataka at Rs.1,750 per quintal. However, despite projecting itself as a key partner in the Central Government, the Andhra Pradesh government failed to secure similar procurement support for the state’s farmers. Only after sustained protests and pressure from the opposition did Chandrababu Naidu write to the Centre, requesting implementation of the PDPS and seeking Rs.281 crore in financial assistance.
Factories Paying Only Rs.5,000–6,000 Per Tonne
There are 44 mango pulp factories across Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts, but only seven have begun processing this season. Farmers insist they need at least Rs.20,000 per tonne to recover cultivation costs. Last year, while the Centre announced a support price of Rs.14,800 per tonne, the State Government declared Rs.12,000 per tonne. With production costs rising further, farmers expected procurement at Rs.16,000 per tonne this season. Instead, field-level procurement centres are paying only Rs.3,000–5,000 per tonne, while factories are offering merely Rs.5,000–6,000 per tonne. Hundreds of truckloads of mangoes remain stranded outside factories awaiting unloading.
Token System Favouring Recommendations
The introduction of a token system has further aggravated the crisis. Farmers allege that priority is being given to those carrying recommendation letters from coalition leaders. Even after obtaining tokens, unloading is delayed by three to four days. Factories also reject half a tonne to one tonne of fruit per load citing quality issues, leaving ordinary farmers to bear heavy losses.
Last year, factories claimed they were burdened with excess pulp stocks and therefore could not procure mangoes. This year, however, industry sources indicate that existing pulp stocks are only 10–15% of capacity. Farmers say factories are now citing the West Asia conflict as an excuse to suppress prices and deliberately keeping most factories closed to force prices down.
Better Prices in Tamil Nadu
In neighbouring Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, Totapuri mangoes are fetching around Rs.6,000 per tonne, while factories in Andhra Pradesh continue claiming they have no orders. Farmers believe this is a coordinated attempt to depress prices. Out of 35 processing factories in Chittoor district, only five are currently procuring mangoes, leaving thousands of farmers with no option but to wait or sell their produce at distress prices.
