Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking urgent intervention to address the mounting crisis faced by mango farmers in the state, following a sharp and sudden crash in market prices.
In a detailed letter and a public appeal on social media, Siddaramaiah called for the immediate implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to support thousands of distressed mango cultivators reeling under the impact of unsustainable losses.
Taking to his X handle, the Chief Minister stressed the seriousness of the situation. “The Centre must act without delay. This is about protecting livelihoods. Thousands of mango farmers are under severe financial stress, unable to recover their basic input costs. We must step in before the situation worsens.”
Siddaramaiah’s letter highlighted the alarming dip in mango prices—from Rs 12,000 per quintal last year to a paltry Rs 3,000 per quintal this season. This is well below the cost of cultivation, pegged at Rs 5,466 per quintal by the Karnataka State Agriculture Price Commission. The massive gap has pushed many small and marginal farmers into acute economic distress.
“Mango is one of Karnataka’s major horticultural crops,” Siddaramaiah wrote, noting that it is cultivated across 1.39 lakh hectares, with an estimated production of 8 to 10 lakh metric tonnes this Rabi season.
The worst-affected regions include Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Bangalore South, where a significant number of mango growers are now facing mounting debts and emotional strain.
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The Chief Minister noted that the crisis was worsened by heavy market arrivals during the peak harvest season from May to July, combined with the absence of effective procurement mechanisms or price stabilisation policies. Farmers have already launched protests in parts of the state, voicing despair over plummeting prices.
“If this situation continues unchecked,” Siddaramaiah warned, “it could lead to deeper rural distress and long-term socio-economic consequences.”
To cushion farmers against the ongoing price crash, Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to implement a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme under the existing MIS framework. Under this scheme, direct compensation would be provided to farmers for the difference between prevailing market prices and a pre-determined minimum support price, helping them recover input costs.
He further recommended that central agencies like NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation) be directed to begin immediate procurement of mangoes at suitable intervention prices.
“This will not only help stabilise prices but also ensure that mango growers receive fair remuneration for their produce,” the Chief Minister stated.
As Karnataka continues to grapple with this agrarian crisis, all eyes are now on the Union Agriculture Ministry for a prompt and effective response that can bring relief to the state’s struggling mango farmers.
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