Mango growers in Karnataka’s Kolar dumped quintals of mangoes along the road following the Anthracnose fungal infection and crash in prices of mangoes on June 27. Neelaturu Chinnappa Reddy, the President of Kolar District Mango Growers and Marketing Association said, “Mango growers are in distress in the district due to terrible losses. With no aid coming from the government, farmers have dumped loads of mangoes by the roadside in some parts of Srinivasapura in the district.” According to Reddy, the mango growers faced a triple whammy this year as unexpected rains and hailstorm lashed the district which caused severe damage to the crops. Further, the Anthracnose fungal attack on the mangoes and the crash in prices of the fruit adversely affected the farmers, he pointed out.
“In the current year, the farmers could take only 30% of the crop, of which half were damaged due to the fungal attack. Further, the crash in mango prices caused immense loss to the growers,” Reddy said. He complained that the government focused entirely on COVID-19 and its relief work but did not look at the mango growers who suffered severe losses. Reddy told IANS the association had petitioned the state government to compensate them and minimise their hardship.
Another mango grower-trader from Kolar, GB Suraj, told IANS that unlike in the past, mango juice makers and pulp-processing units have not been buying the fruit in large quantities due to disruption in supply chain and logistics. “Growers have no choice but dump their crop on roads, as they were ripening and perishing by the day," he said.
Karnataka: Growers dumped some varieties of mangoes along roads due to fall in their prices, in Srinivaspur, Kolar
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2021
"Mango growers are incurring losses this year. In frustration, they're throwing away the produce," Kolar Mango Growers Association chief Chinnappa Reddy said y'day pic.twitter.com/8cnwOInDSy
Price of Totapuri variety crashed to Rs 5 per kg from Rs 20-25 per kg a year ago and of Beneisha to Rs 20 per kg from Rs 80per kg a year ago in the wholesale market due to supply being more than demand, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The blow further intensified as the second wave hit the state during the peak mango season. During the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and prolonged lockdown, demand and consumption were hit due to the closure of hotels, juice centres, and the ban on weddings and festivals.
KV Nagaraju, Chairman of Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited said that the Totapuri variety of the crops suffered huge losses while other crops suffered minimum losses. He said that he visited the spot with state Horticulture Minister R Shankar and observed that only the Totapuri variety of mango got fungal infections. There was very little damage to Benisha (Banaganapalli), Neelam and Mallika mangoes, Nagaraju told PTI. He added that he has written to the government to give a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare to the Totapuri growers of Kolar who incurred losses.