The Department of Horticulture has helped in striking a deal between the fruit pulp units and mango growers in Chittoor district, ensuring a remunerative price for the latter.
Mango is grown in 1.1 lakh hectares in the district, from where a whopping 5 lakh metric tonnes of produce goes to juice and pulp making units. Horticulture Commissioner S.S. Sridhar, accompanied by Collector M. Hari Narayanan, paid a visit to the Vapour Heat Treatment Plant in Tirupati and also interacted with mango farmers from Kothapeta village in Pulicherla mandal.
It was in this context that Mr. Sridhar announced to bring the pulp units to the negotiating table. “If required, we will consider bringing traders from the neighbouring States for such deals to ensure a remunerative price for the mango farmers,” he said and assured the pulp units to solve the problems they are facing.
Speaking to the members of a Farmer Producers’ Organisation (FPO), he said the table varieties of the fruit would get value addition once they get processed at the VHT plant, fetching better returns to the farmers.
Assistant Directors Subba Reddy, Koteswara Rao and other officials were present on the occasion.
