Naidu seeks Rs 281 crore relief for Totapuri mango farmers

Vijayawada: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has urged the Centre to intervene and support Totapuri mango farmers in Andhra Pradesh, who are facing a severe crisis due to a sharp fall in market prices. In a letter to Union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Naidu requested the implementation of the price deficiency payment scheme (PDPS) under the market intervention scheme to provide relief to mango growers.The chief minister said that exports of mango pulp were hit due to global developments, and industries had stopped purchases, resulting in a steep decline in Totapuri mango prices. He sought financial assistance of Rs 281 crore from the Centre to support farmers.Naidu highlighted that Andhra Pradesh is among the leading mango-producing states in the country, with cultivation spread across 3.99 lakh hectares and an annual production of 52.65 lakh metric tonnes.

He said the Totapuri variety is mainly cultivated in Rayalaseema districts including Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and Kadapa, covering around 91,011 hectares.The variety produces around 8.65 lakh metric tonnes annually and provides livelihood support to lakhs of farming families, he said. Explaining the current situation, Naidu said rising input costs and a collapse in market prices had severely affected mango farmers during the ongoing season.

To extend support, the state govt has taken up procurement of 7.03 lakh metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes under the Market Intervention Scheme.As part of the initiative, the state govt has decided to provide an additional Rs 4 per kg to farmers. Naidu requested the Centre to extend support under the PDPS and implement the Market Intervention Scheme for the procurement operations scheduled from June to August this year. The chief minister urged the union minister to take necessary steps to protect Totapuri mango growers and ensure they receive remunerative returns.