Centre Forms Panel to Address Totapuri Mango Price Crash
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Orders ICAR Study on Entire Value Chain to Protect Andhra Pradesh Mango Growers
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd July: The Centre has constituted a high-level expert committee under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to examine the sharp decline in Totapuri mango prices in Andhra Pradesh and recommend long-term measures to strengthen the sector and improve farmers’ incomes.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed the formation of the committee following his recent visit to Andhra Pradesh, where Totapuri mango growers raised concerns over the sustained fall in prices of the processing-grade variety, saying it had severely affected their earnings and livelihoods.
The committee has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive assessment of the entire Totapuri mango value chain, covering cultivation, processing, marketing, domestic trade and exports. It will identify the factors behind the recent price decline and recommend measures to improve farmers’ returns and ensure sustainable growth of the sector.
According to an ICAR order, the committee will be chaired by Dr. T. Damodaran, Director of the ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow. Members include experts from the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Dr. YSR Horticultural University and the Andhra Pradesh Horticulture Department.
The expert panel has been directed to visit major Totapuri mango-growing regions of Andhra Pradesh within the next 10 days. During the field visits, it will interact with farmers, exporters, processors, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), state officials and other stakeholders to assess challenges across the value chain.
The committee will study production costs, processing capacity, demand-supply trends, export performance and market dynamics while identifying opportunities to improve competitiveness, market access and value addition. It will also prepare an evidence-based assessment of the reasons behind the decline in domestic and export prices.
After completing its field study, the committee will submit a detailed report to the Agriculture Minister with recommendations on price stabilisation, expansion of processing and export capacity, stronger coordination among stakeholders and policy measures for the long-term development of the Totapuri mango sector.
Chouhan said protecting the income and livelihoods of Totapuri mango growers remains a priority for the government. He said appropriate steps would be taken based on the committee’s recommendations to strengthen the value chain and create new opportunities for value addition, exports, investment and employment.
