Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to constitute a high-level expert committee to address the significant decline in Totapuri mango prices affecting farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The decision follows the Minister's recent visit to the state where farmers reported that prices for this processing-industry variety have fallen substantially in recent months, adversely affecting incomes and creating financial stress among mango-producing farmers.
The expert committee will be chaired by Dr. T. Damodaran, Director of ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow, with members including Dr. M. Shankaran (Head, Fruit Crops Division, ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru), Dr. H.S. Singh (Principal Scientist, ICAR–CISH, Lucknow), Dr. D. Srinivasa Reddy (Professor, College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta, Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Andhra Pradesh), and the Director of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh or their nominee.
The committee has been instructed to undertake field visits to major Totapuri mango-growing regions of Andhra Pradesh within the next ten days to interact with farmers, processing industry representatives, exporters, State Horticulture Department officials, Farmer Producer Organisations, and other stakeholders. The committee will examine the entire value chain from cultivation and processing to marketing, domestic trade, and exports, specifically assessing current cultivation status, production costs, farmers' incomes, processing capacity and utilization, demand-supply dynamics, and factors responsible for price decline in domestic and export markets.
Based on field observations and stakeholder consultations, the committee will prepare a detailed assessment of factors contributing to price decline and submit a comprehensive report to the Union Minister with recommendations on price stabilization measures, promotion of value addition, enhancement of processing and export capacities, strengthening coordination among Farmer Producer Organisations, processors and exporters, and required policy interventions for long-term sustainable development of the Totapuri mango sector. The recommendations will serve as the basis for coordinated action by Central and State Governments to safeguard farmer incomes and create opportunities for value addition, exports, investment, and employment.