Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has asked the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to depute a high-level expert committee to study the challenges faced by Totapuri mango growers in Andhra Pradesh.He asked the council to submit a set of recommendations to support mango farmers in the long term.The decision follows the Union Minister’s recent visit to Andhra Pradesh, where farmers informed him that Totapuri mango prices have declined significantly in recent months. They said that this had adversely affected their incomes.The ICAR committee will comprise scientists and representatives of institutions concerned to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the crisis.The committee has been entrusted with the task of examining the entire value chain – from cultivation and processing to marketing, domestic trade and exports and recommending suitable interventions to improve farmers’ returns and strengthen the sector on a sustainable basis.Panel membersThe committee will be headed by T Damodaran, Director of ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow; M Shankaran, Head (Fruit Crops Division, ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru); and D Srinivasa Reddy (Professor, College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta, Dr YSR Horticultural University, Andhra Pradesh).The committee members will visit the Totapuri mango-growing areas in the State and interact with farmers, representatives of the processing industry, and Farmer Producer Organisations to assess the situation, a statement said here on Friday.Published on July 3, 2026