Daijiworld Media Network – Madurai
Madurai, Jun 26: Mango farmers in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district are facing a severe financial crisis after the farm-gate price of the 'Kili Mooku' (Totapuri) variety plunged to a record low of Rs 3 per kilogram, forcing many growers to leave their harvest unpicked or cut down mango trees to avoid further losses.
The crisis has affected farmers cultivating the crop across more than 1,000 acres in Melur Taluk, where production costs and labour expenses have far exceeded the returns from the sale of the fruit. While farmers are receiving only Rs 3 per kg, the same mangoes are reportedly being sold in retail markets for more than Rs 40 per kg.
Farmer Jeeva said growers invest nearly Rs 1 lakh per acre annually on cultivation and maintenance but are unable to recover even their basic costs due to the continuous decline in prices over the past two years.
He said the farm-gate price has fallen from around Rs 5 per kg to Rs 4, and now to as low as Rs 3 per kg, even as mango-based products such as juices and beverages continue to fetch significantly higher prices in the market.
According to him, the current prices make it impossible to meet labour charges, transportation costs and commission expenses. Labourers are also unwilling to harvest the fruit, as the value of the produce often does not cover their daily wages.
Facing mounting debts and heavy losses, several farmers in the Kottampatti Union have reportedly begun cutting down mango plantations.
Farmers' associations have urged the Tamil Nadu government to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for mangoes, arguing that states such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have already implemented similar measures.
Jeeva said farmers are demanding an MSP of at least Rs 20 per kg to make mango cultivation economically viable. He added that despite repeated appeals over the past two years, the issue has not received adequate attention from the state government.
The farmers have also requested the government to coordinate with fruit pulp industries and juice manufacturers to ensure fair procurement prices. They warned that while the crisis is most severe in Madurai at present, similar conditions are prevailing in other major mango-growing districts, including Krishnagiri, Salem, Dharmapuri and Dindigul, putting the livelihoods of thousands of farmers at risk.