Price of ‘Bangalora’ has fallen to Rs 4K–Rs 5K per tonne this year

Opposition parties have mounted pressure on the ruling DMK to compensate the farmers as done by the Andhra Pradesh government. Chief Minister M K Stalin, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated that around 80% of the ‘Bangalora’ and 50% of the ‘Alphonso’ mango varieties cultivated in Tamil Nadu are used for pulp production. However, the price of the ‘Bangalora’ variety has fallen to Rs 4,000–Rs 5,000 per tonne this year, compared to Rs 7,000–Rs 8,000 per tonne last year.

Though this year’s yield was high due to favourable weather, the availability of leftover stock from the previous year has disrupted the supply-demand balance, leading to a dip in demand from pulp manufacturing companies. Tamil Nadu cultivates mangoes on 1.46 lakh hectares and produces 9.49 lakh tonnes annually, making it the seventh-largest mango producer in the country.

The chief minister sought the union government’s intervention on two other fronts to ease tensions between mango farmers and pulp manufacturers. He urged the centre to ensure strict adherence to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. He alleged that companies producing mango-based beverages often fail to meet the prescribed minimum pulp content. Stalin also demanded a reduction in the GST on mango pulp from 12% to 5%, saying the existing tax structure disincentivises large-scale production. A lower tax, he said, would help both manufacturers and mango growers.

Food Minister R Sakkarapani, who is also the minister in charge of Krishnagiri district—Tamil Nadu’s leading mango-growing region—will hand over the letters to the Prime Minister and Union Agriculture Minister in person on Wednesday. Stalin also cited the recent decision of the union and Karnataka governments to compensate mango farmers under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme and urged similar support for TN growers.

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