Chandrababu seeks Centre’s support for Totapuri Mango farmers

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged the Central government to extend immediate financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh’s Totapuri mango farmers, who are facing severe distress due to a sharp fall in market prices. In a letter addressed to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister sought the implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to protect growers from heavy losses.

Highlighting the challenges confronting the mango sector, Chandrababu said exports of mango pulp had been severely affected by global market conditions, while reduced procurement by processing industries had triggered a sharp decline in Totapuri mango prices during the current season.

The Chief Minister requested the Centre to provide ₹281 crore in financial assistance to support the procurement of 7.03 lakh metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes under the PDPS framework. He informed the Union Minister that the State government has already initiated measures to procure the produce and has decided to provide farmers with an additional Rs 4 per kilogram as price support.

In his letter, Chandrababu noted that Andhra Pradesh is India’s leading mango-producing state, with mango cultivation spread across 3.99 lakh hectares, yielding nearly 52.65 lakh metric tonnes annually. He pointed out that Totapuri mangoes are cultivated over 91,011 hectares in Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and YSR Kadapa districts, producing around 8.65 lakh metric tonnes every year and providing livelihood to lakhs of farming families.

The Chief Minister explained that rising cultivation costs coupled with the collapse in market prices have pushed farmers into financial hardship. He appealed to the Centre to approve the implementation of the Market Intervention Scheme from June to August this year and extend financial support through the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme to ensure remunerative prices for Totapuri growers and protect their livelihoods.