Farmers in mango-rich regions of Chittoor,Tirupati,and Annamayya are bracing for potential crisis as the procurement season progresses. Recent pre-monsoon gales and hailstorms have severely damaged orchards, particularly impacting the Totapuri variety, which is crucial for pulp-processing industries. adverse weather has left many farmers worried about their financial futures.
In the wake of the storms, farmers are gathering fallen mangoes and transporting them to local trading centers. However, they are dismayed by the low prices being offered—just ₹2 per kg for damaged fruit and only ₹5 per kg for healthy,harvest-ready mangoes . This situation echoes last year's turmoil when prices plummeted below ₹4 per kg, leading to long queues of distressed farmers outside pulp factories and significant traffic congestion on highways.
“We cannot survive at these prices. Considering the expenditure on orchard maintenance, labour,irrigation,crop protection,and transport, farmers need at least ₹12-₹15 per kg for Totapuri mangoes to break even,”said Kothur Babu,president of the Chittoor Mango Producers’ Association.
Last year,pulp manufacturers reported an oversupply of more than 200,000 tonnes of unsold pulp, primarily due to weak export demand. This led to a drastic reduction in procurement prices, prompting government intervention with an additional ₹4 per kg incentive to assist growers. The situation was exacerbated during March and April when pulp factories claimed a blockade of exports to Gulf and European markets, resulting in transaction delays worth over ₹1,000 crore due to West Asia crisis.
Farmer leaders are skeptical of the industry's claims this season,asserting that the carryover stock is now only few thousand tonnes. They argue that the current market conditions do not warrant another price collapse. The mango harvest this year spans approximately 300,000 acres across the combined Chittoor district,but procurement activity remains sluggish. Reports indicate that only about 30% of the 46 pulp factories are operating at limited capacity despite the season being underway.
The district administration is reportedly monitoring the situation closely and maintaining communication with industry stakeholders. In light of the ongoing challenges, farmer organizations are urging administration to establish a remunerative support price before full-scale procurement begins. They warn that if prices remain at their current levels,countless mango growers could face severe financial hardship.
