District Collector Sumit Kumar on Monday said that State government’s announcement of minimum support price (MSP) of ₹4 per kg for ‘Totapuri’ mangoes would provide relief to thousands of farmers in erstwhile Chittoor district in view of the severe market downturn.Speaking to the media here, the Collector said that Chittoor is among the country’s largest Totapuri mango-producing districts, with the crop cultivated across nearly 51,736 hectares. The district is also a major centre for mango pulp production and exports, supporting the livelihoods of around 35,000 farming families.Mr. Sumit Kumar said that Totapuri mangoes are grown primarily for pulp extraction and have limited demand in the fresh fruit market, leaving growers heavily dependent on the processing industry. Procurement by pulp manufacturers declined sharply this season, continuing the trend from last year, after exports were disrupted by geopolitical tensions in West Asia.The Collector said shipping through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz was severely affected, resulting in cancellations and indefinite postponement of orders from Iran, a major buyer of Chittoor’s mango pulp. Higher freight costs to Gulf and Mediterranean markets further reduced export competitiveness, leaving processors with unsold inventories and forcing some units to scale down operations.The crisis coincided with a bumper harvest during the 2025-26 season, resulting in excess supply and a steep fall in farmgate prices. Current procurement prices range between ₹5 and ₹6 per kg at pulp industries, ₹4 to ₹5 per kg in mandis, and ₹3 to ₹4 per kg at procurement ramps.To cushion growers from mounting losses, the State government approved the ₹4-per-kg MSP, Mr. Sumit Kumar said. As of June 29, a total of 2.03 lakh metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes had been procured in Chittoor district, including 1.58 lakh metric tonnes by pulp industries and 44,509 metric tonnes through mandis and procurement ramps, he said. Published - July 06, 2026 07:42 pm IST