In Chittoor district, mango producers are confronting challenges in obtaining the government-supported price for their crops. Despite Chittoor and Tirupati Collectors setting a minimum support price of Rs 30,000 per tonne, a syndicate of traders is offering prices well below this threshold. This situation has placed the farmers in a financially vulnerable position, as they are unable to recover their investment costs or make a profit.
The farming community is expressing dissatisfaction with the system, which has failed to safeguard their interests. The majority of the orchards are planted with the Totapuri variety, and this year, the yield has drastically decreased to only 10-20% of the typical harvest. This reduction, coupled with high demand and low supply, led farmers to anticipate better pricing. However, the reality was a stark contrast, with a traders' cartel forcing the sale of produce at significantly reduced prices.
At the season's start, the price was Rs 28,000 per tonne, but it has since dropped to Rs 22,000, with reports of some sales at Rs 20,000. Traders from the neighboring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu initially offered Rs 28,000 for Totapuri mangoes, but local traders and pulp industries quickly formed a syndicate that undercut these offers, leading to a substantial price reduction. Farmers argue that Rs 30,000 per tonne would cover their costs and consider Rs 28,000 as an acceptable minimum, but any lower pricing severely impacts their financial stability.
[ Rs 100 = €1.10 ]
Source: thehansindia.com