Sour mangoes: AP farmers struggle as prices crash, despite govt intervention to ease market crisis
They now suggest the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of the Lord Venkateswara Temple, could come to their rescue by procuring the fruits.
Despite a bumper crop in financial year 2024-25, farmers in Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts are struggling as pulp industries allegedly refuse to buy sufficient quantities, citing reduced market demand and export challenges.
"Farmers don't want political entanglements, but genuine solutions to protect livelihoods and ensure fair prices," said M Bhanu Prakash, a mango farmer from Tirupati.
He noted that the promised Rs 4 per kg support price from the TDP-led government has been delayed, worsening hardships with rising transportation and labour costs.
"This year's production reached nearly 1.5 lakh tonne, compared to last year's 90,000 tonne, leading to oversupply problems and reduced market demand," Prakash told PTI.
Prakash demanded a Mango Board, questioning why no organised structure supports mango farmers despite the scale and significance of production in Andhra Pradesh.
Minister of State for Rural Development, Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani said that the Centre reimbursed Rs 130 crore under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) recognising Andhra Pradesh's proactive efforts to protect mango farmers during the severe market crisis.
"A total of Rs 260 crore was released at the rate of Rs 4 per kg by the state government and Rs 130 crore has been reimbursed from the Centre under the MIS," said Pemmasani in a post on X on Tuesday.
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