Allocations for fruit crop protection had been increased from ₹3.5 crore in the coalition government’s first year to ₹30 crore in the second, says Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu
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Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu on Tuesday accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of neglecting the Totapuri mango farmers during its tenure while attempting to gain political mileage by criticising the coalition government’s relief measures.In a statement, the Minister alleged that the previous YSRCP government had failed to support the farmers when Totapuri mango prices fell to ₹2 per kg. “The current government provided an intervention support of ₹4 per kg last year, benefiting farmers to the tune of ₹190 crore. It has been decided to continue the subsidy this season too,” he said.Mr. Atchannaidu also alleged that a cartel of pulp processing units in the undivided Chittoor district was procuring Totapuri mangoes at around ₹3 per kg while earning higher profits from processed products. He claimed there were suspicions about the involvement of the YSRCP leaders in the alleged syndicate.The Minister said the State had sought ₹281 crore from the Centre for the mango growers while independently announcing a ₹4-per-kg subsidy to provide immediate relief. Allocations for fruit crop protection had been increased from ₹3.5 crore in the coalition government’s first year to ₹30 crore in the second,” he said.According to the Minister, Totapuri mango is cultivated in 93,336 hectares in Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated production of 8.84 lakh metric tonnes. Of the 4.42 lakh metric tonnes harvested so far, 2.57 lakh metric tonnes have been supplied to pulp processing units. He maintained that Andhra Pradesh had acted ahead of the Centre in extending support to ensure farmers did not suffer losses. Published - June 30, 2026 07:59 pm IST
