Siddaramaiah writes to Centre seeking urgent relief for distressed mango farmers in Karnataka

The Chief Minister highlighted that mango prices have plunged from ₹12,000 to ₹3,000 per quintal—far below the estimated cultivation cost of ₹5,466, pushing farmers into unsustainable losses

South First Desk

Published Jun 13, 2025 | 3:48 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 13, 2025 | 3:48 PM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Synopsis: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to implement Price Deficiency Payment and Market Intervention Schemes to aid mango farmers, citing a steep price crash and mounting financial distress. In a public appeal, he warned of severe livelihood impacts and called for immediate central intervention to prevent further rural economic fallout

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging immediate intervention to address the mounting crisis faced by mango farmers in the state.

Highlighting the severe crash in market prices, Siddaramaiah has called for the implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) as urgent policy responses to support lakhs of cultivators.

In his public post on X (formerly Twitter), Siddaramaiah reiterated the urgency of the situation. “The Centre must act without delay. This is about protecting livelihoods,” he wrote.

“Thousands of mango farmers are under severe financial stress, unable to recover their basic input costs. We must step in before the situation worsens.”

I’ve written to Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) regarding the crisis faced by mango farmers in Karnataka:

* Market prices have crashed from ₹12,000 to ₹3,000 per quintal
* Cost of cultivation is ₹5,466 per quintal
* Farmers can’t… pic.twitter.com/G2Njnzd5Qi

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 13, 2025

Steep fall in mango prices

In his letter, the Chief Minister noted that mango prices, which once fetched ₹12,000 per quintal, have now plummeted to a dismal ₹3,000 per quintal—well below the cost of cultivation, which is estimated at ₹5,466 per quintal by the Karnataka State Agriculture Price Commission.

This sharp mismatch has left thousands of small and marginal farmers unable to even recover their basic input costs, pushing them into acute financial distress.

“Mango is one of Karnataka’s major horticultural crops,” Siddaramaiah wrote, “cultivated over approximately 1.39 lakh hectares, with estimated production ranging from 8 to 10 lakh metric tonnes this Rabi season.”

The crop is predominantly grown in Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, and Bangalore South districts—regions now witnessing mounting anxiety as farmers struggle with plummeting prices and mounting debts.

The letter underscores the impact of heavy arrivals during the peak harvest period (May to July), which has led to dramatic price fluctuations in the absence of adequate procurement mechanisms or price guarantees.

Also Read: Andhra Pradesh imposes ban on import of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka

Protests across the state

According to Siddaramaiah, the ongoing crisis has already triggered protests across parts of the state, with farmers expressing despair over their inability to sustain livelihoods.

“If this situation continues unchecked,” the Chief Minister warned, “it could lead to deeper rural distress and long-term socio-economic consequences.”

Siddaramaiah has appealed to the Union Agriculture Ministry to swiftly implement a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme for mangoes under the MIS framework.

Such a scheme would provide direct compensation to farmers for the difference between market prices and a pre-determined minimum support price (in this case, the cost of cultivation), thereby cushioning them against sudden price crashes.

He also recommended that central procurement agencies such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) be directed to start immediate procurement at a suitable intervention price.

“This will not only help stabilize prices but also ensure that mango growers receive fair remuneration for their produce,” Siddaramaiah stated.

(Edited by Ananya Rao)