Farmers have demanded the establishment of a Mango Board to stabilise prices and streamline export logistics, a proposal under consideration by the state.
Published Jun 18, 2025 | 9:43 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 18, 2025 | 12:11 PM
Totapuri mango. (iStock)
Synopsis: The farmers in Andhra Pradesh are struggling due to the low prices of the Totapuri mango variety. There are reports that unharvested mangoes are rotting in orchards, and farmers are waiting at pulp factories for tokens to sell at government-set rates.
A severe crisis has gripped Andhra Pradesh’s mango farmers, particularly those growing the Totapuri variety. Prices have plummeted following an oversupply from a bumper crop and reluctance from pulp industries to buy at reasonable prices.
The state and Union governments have stepped in with measures to mitigate the distress, but systemic issues and inter-state trade disputes continue to cast a shadow over the ₹2,500–₹6,000 crore mango industry, a vital sector in Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural economy.
In 2025, Andhra Pradesh, which cultivates mangoes across 375,000 hectares with an annual yield of four to five million tonnes, witnessed a record harvest.
The Totapuri variety, constituting an estimated 15–20 percent of the state’s mango production and grown in at least six districts — Chittoor, Tirupati, Kadapa, Krishna, Annamayya, and Vizianagaram — has been hit hard.
Prices in Chittoor, the epicentre of mango processing, have crashed to ₹3,000–₹4,000 per tonne, far below cultivation costs. This collapse is driven by an oversupply exacerbated by early harvesting prompted by monsoon forecasts and unsold pulp stocks.
The pulp industry sources say that 2.75 lakh tonnes of mango pulp produced in the Chittoor district in 2024 have not been exported due to geopolitical issues and economic slowdown.
Farmers are in distress, with many unable to recover input costs. There are reports that unharvested mangoes are rotting in orchards, and farmers are waiting at pulp factories for tokens to sell at government-set rates. The 24 pulp processing units in Chittoor and Tirupati, critical to the state’s mango economy, have delayed procurement, citing low demand and excess inventory.
Some factories offer only ₹5,000–₹6,000 per tonne, well below the state’s mandated price, leaving farmers stranded.
Agriculture Minister K Atchen Naidu, after interacting with mango farmers in Chittoor district on 14 June, said: “The chief minister has fixed ₹8 per kg (₹8,000 per tonne) with a subsidy component of ₹4 per kg. As of date, 22 tonnes of mangoes have been procured.”
He added that the state has set aside a subsidy support of ₹165 crore. He further said: “There were days when the price went up as high as ₹25 to ₹35 per kg, but this year, there are no takers even if the farmer offers them at ₹4 per kg. The chief minister has fixed the price at ₹12 per kg. The government would pay farmers the difference between ₹12 and the price offered by the companies, but it should not be below ₹8 per kg.”
Though the procurement season began on 9 June, not many purchases have taken place. In Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts, 15,976 tonnes had been procured as of 12 June, but the enforcement of the MSP is becoming challenging, with pulp industries resisting payment of the mandated rate, citing lack of demand and unutilised inventories of pulp stocks.
On 7 June, the Chittoor district imposed a ban on Totapuri mango imports from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to protect local farmers from cheaper produce sold at ₹5–₹6 per kg. Chittoor Collector Sumeet Kumar justified the ban, arguing that unrestricted imports would further depress prices and spark unrest among local growers. The state has also deployed enforcement teams at borders to prevent the smuggling of out-of-state mangoes.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has taken up the issue with the Union government. On Sunday, 15 June, he raised the issue with visiting Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at his residence in Undavalli, Amaravati.
Naidu urged him to take steps to reduce GST on mango pulp from 12 percent to five percent. He stated that the GST on mango jelly (mamidi tandra) is five percent and requested that the GST on pulp be brought down to this level. He had earlier raised the issue with the Union agriculture and finance ministers.
Farmers have demanded the establishment of a Mango Board to stabilise prices and streamline export logistics, a proposal under consideration by the state.
However, the effectiveness of these measures remains limited, as pulp factories continue to resist MSP compliance, and the import ban has sparked tensions with neighbouring states.
The Union government’s response has been measured but less direct. The Union Agriculture Ministry is aware of the crisis, with Andhra Pradesh’s pleas for GST reduction under review.
However, no concrete announcements have been made regarding tax relief or additional support for mango farmers. The Union government’s focus appears to be on broader agricultural export policies, such as improving irradiation facilities to access markets like Japan, which could benefit premium varieties like Banganapalli but offer little immediate relief for Totapuri growers.
The ban on mango imports has drawn sharp criticism from Karnataka, whose farmers rely on Chittoor’s processing units due to limited local facilities (only four in the state). Karnataka has argued that the ban harms farmers in districts like Kolar and Chikkaballapur, who face financial losses as their bumper crop goes unsold.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Naidu on 11 June, urging the ban’s revocation, followed by a letter from Karnataka’s Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to her Andhra Pradesh counterpart K Vijayanand.
Andhra Pradesh’s response has been cautious. Vijayanand acknowledged Karnataka’s concerns, inviting a team from Kolar to assess the situation and requesting production data to inform future decisions.
However, Andhra Pradesh defended the ban as a necessary measure to protect local farmers, urging Karnataka to implement its own price support mechanism to prevent undercutting.
The state has not committed to lifting the ban, citing the risk of price destabilisation and potential protests in Chittoor, a politically sensitive region that includes Naidu’s constituency, Kuppam.
According to government sources, the mango industry in Andhra Pradesh, valued at ₹2,500–₹6,000 crore, includes fresh mango sales (₹1,200–₹4,800 crore domestically), exports of 200,000–300,000 tonnes worth ₹700 crore, and processed products like pulp, contributing ₹500–₹1,000 crore.
Totapuri’s role in processing makes it economically significant, but its price volatility reflects systemic vulnerabilities. Over-reliance on a few pulp units, lack of price stabilisation mechanisms, and limited export infrastructure (eg, irradiation facilities) expose farmers to market and climate shocks.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
