Growing financial distress among mango farmers in Karnataka’s largest mango-producing belt of Kolar and Chikkaballapur sparked a day-long bandh in parts of Kolar on Monday, with growers demanding immediate government intervention and a support price for their produce.

Led by the District Mango Growers’ Association and backed by several farmers’ and labour organisations, the protest highlighted the worsening crisis faced by thousands of cultivators as market prices continue to remain below production costs.

Farmers seek government intervention

Growers have urged the state government to announce a support price of ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 per tonne for mangoes. They pointed out that neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has already introduced a support price of ₹4 per kilogram, providing much-needed relief to farmers there.

Kolar district accounts for nearly 45,000 hectares of mango cultivation, with Srinivaspur taluk recognised as Karnataka’s largest mango-producing region. However, farmers say the two major varieties grown in the area, Totapuri and Benisha, are currently fetching only around ₹5 per kilogram, while cultivation costs have risen to nearly ₹8.60 per kilogram.

Many farmers unable to recover costs

District Mango Growers’ Association president Nelatur Chinnappa Reddy said mango cultivation has become increasingly unsustainable due to fluctuating prices and rising input costs.

The situation has become so severe that several small and marginal farmers are reportedly leaving ripe fruits unharvested, as the costs of harvesting, transportation and marketing exceed the expected returns.

Processing gap adds to crisis

Farmer leaders also blamed inadequate processing infrastructure for the problem. While Kolar has only four processing units handling around 900 tonnes daily, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has 41 units with a combined capacity exceeding 12,000 tonnes per day.

Kolar Deputy Commissioner Ravi MR has urged the state government to revive the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS). The issue has also been raised with Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar by Food and Civil Supplies Minister K. H. Muniyappa, who hails from the district.