Mango farmers led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, on Monday, met Collector Sagili Shan Mohan at his chambers at the Collectorate and submitted a memorandum seeking a hike in the minimum support price (MSP).
Former MP and BJP State leader N.P. Durga informed the Collector that though he had announced an MSP of ₹19 per kg on May 10 and finalised it to be ₹15.50 per kg early this month, the pulp industries were purchasing the ‘thothapuri’ variety fruit at ₹10 a kg or even below.
She said that the ground realities concerning the problems of mango growers in the combined Chittoor district were brought to the notice of the Collector.
Meanwhile, Chittoor District Farmer-Producer Company chairman Kothur Babu alleged that the representatives of the pulp factories had provided false information to the Collector that demand for the fruit had fallen as they have been receiving mangoes from neighbouring States.
“In fact, mangoes are going from here to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” he said, adding that their mangoes continue to have good demand.
The farmers said the Collector had assured them that he would call for a meeting with the pulp factories in a couple of days to solve their issue.
