KRISHNAGIRI: Many farmers in Krishnagiri district are dumping harvested mangoes on roadsides as they do not receive what they consider a fair price. Some farmers have even felled their mango trees and sold them as firewood after suffering losses for the past few years due to extreme heat, strong winds, drought, water shortage, insect attacks, and rising pesticide costs.
Tripartite Meeting Fails to Resolve Price Dispute
A tripartite meeting involving mango farmers, pulp factory owners, and government officials was held on May 19 under the chairmanship of Krishnagiri district collector S Dinesh Kumar to address the issue of fair pricing. Farmers demanded Rs 20 per kilogram for their produce and insisted on an incentive of Rs 5 per kilogram, similar to schemes in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The collector emphasized that factories should purchase mangoes at Rs 15 per kilogram. However, factory owners stated that purchasing at the demanded price was not feasible due to the West Asia conflict, increased shipping charges, electricity costs, and wages. The meeting concluded without any decision.
Farmers Highlight Price Disparity
Mango pulp factories are expected to start production in the first week of June. J Vinoth from Bargur, a farmer, pointed out that traders purchase mango varieties like Bangalora and Senthoora from farmers at Rs 6 per kilogram but sell them at Rs 60 per kilogram in the market. Similarly, varieties like Malkova are bought at Rs 70 per kilogram and sold at Rs 180 per kilogram. Farmers urged the state government to open mango procurement centers to help them overcome the crisis.
The ongoing crisis has left many farmers in distress, with no immediate solution in sight. The district administration continues to explore options to ensure fair prices for the farmers.
