Krishnagiri mango farmers suffer losses; many start felling trees

KRISHNAGIRI: Severe summer heat in Krishnagiri district reduced mango yield by about 70% this year, pushing farmers into distress and forcing many of them to cut down long-standing mango trees as they said they were unable to get a fair price for their produce.Krishnagiri, which has more than 33,000 hectares under mango cultivation, used to produce around 2,52,436 metric tonnes annually. More than one lakh farmers, including small, marginal and large growers, depend on mango farming for their livelihood. However, farmers said they faced repeated income losses over the past 10 years due to natural calamities, pest attacks and poor pricing.Farmers alleged that a syndicate of mango processing unit owners fixed prices, preventing growers from receiving profitable rates. "This caused recurring annual losses and led to the destruction of mango orchards in more than 10,000 hectares, with many shifting to alternative crops," P K Damodaran, a farmer from Pochampally told TOI.This year, the situation worsened due to an intense heat wave, especially in rainfed orchards, where 70% of the crop was damaged. Farmers said mango processing units had not yet begun procurement in full swing. Exports were affected by the Israel-Iran conflict, while recent hailstorms caused fruits to rot on the trees.At present, farmers said pickle companies purchased mangoes at only Rs 6 to Rs 8 per kg depending on quality, which they said was far below viable levels. "As losses mounted, many growers cut down even 50-year-old mango trees," K Thangavel, another farmer from Uthangarai said.Meanwhile, NS Sivaguru, state president of the Tamil Nadu All Irrigation Farmers Association, along with farmers, urged the district administration to convene a tripartite meeting involving farmers, factory owners and officials to determine a fair price for mangoes. They demanded govt intervention, compensation for affected farmers and steps to protect mango cultivation in the district.