Mangoes fail to work magic for farmers

Fall in exports and international prices hits growers

Andhraites may be having a mango of a time but for farmers, there's hardly anything to cheer about. The king of fruits, benishan or banganapally variety, is selling at a much lower price this season as compared to last season.

The price of benishan variety was pegged at between Rs 10,000 and Rs 14,500 per tonne last season while this season it is between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000 per tonne. Towards the end of the season, ie now, the banganapally variety is fetching between Rs 12 and Rs 15 per kg for the farmers.

Attributing the slump in the prices to decline in exports and international prices, Rajmanohar Rao, secretary, Agricultural Market Committee (AMC), Gaddiannaram fruit market, told Business Standard that though the arrivals have been good, fall in exports both to states such as Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and international market was the main reason for low prices.

"Of the total produce, around 80 per cent is exported to other states. Good produce in other states and a decline in prices in the international market could be the two reasons for low prices," he said.

The banganapally variety that arrived at the fruit market this year was double as compared to last year. While the total arrival of the banganapally in May 2004 was 1,68,000 quintals, it was 3,12,240 quintals in May 2005. The Totapuri variety that arrived last May was 30,420 quintals and this May, it was 39,480 quintals.

Now, towards the end of the season, the prices of banganapally variety is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000 per tonne. Rao said the market primarily covered the districts of Warangal, Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Khammam, Mahbubnagar and Karimnagar.

However, S Jagadeeshwara Reddy, DHO (Fruit), AP Horticulture, said that the crop produced in the state was less by about 20 per cent as compared to last season.

Though the land brought under cultivation was between 5,000 hectares and 7,000 hectares in a district, the decrease in crop can be attributed to the impact of tsunami on the weather during the flowering season between December and February, he said, adding, "The farmers who have lost the crop are now worried about the existence of the plants," he said.