Bengaluru: Mohammed Shafiulla (55), a well-known mango trader and proprietor of Taj Mango Mandi in Srinivasapur, Kolar district, passed away due to a heart attack on Monday while overseeing harvest operations at a farm in Thotli village. His sudden demise has triggered an outpouring of concern from the mango trading and farming community.
Shafiulla had invested over ₹30 lakh in advance payments to farmers across villages like Thotli and Rojenahalli, along with expenses on pesticides and labour. While supervising the loading of tractor loads of mangoes, he collapsed on the field. According to his nephew, Anees Ahmed — Secretary of the Mango Traders Association — Shafiulla was severely distressed about the sharp decline in mango prices and had confided that he might not even recover his investment.
Anees has appealed to the Karnataka government to declare a support price for mangoes and compensate Shafiulla’s family, stressing that timely intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
Chinnappa Reddy, President of the Kolar District Mango Growers Welfare Association, echoed these concerns, pointing out that both traders and growers are suffering due to unstable market prices. He urged immediate government action to stabilize the market and provide relief to those relying on the mango economy.