Mango growing farmers in the Kolar district of Karnataka have dumped large quintals of mangoes as a result of the Anthracnose fungal infection and a drop in mango prices, according to a farmer leader.
‘Mango growers in the district are in despair as a result of devastating losses. Farmers have left loads of mangoes by the roadside in some parts of Srinivasapura in the district due to a lack of government assistance,’ Neelaturu Chinnappa Reddy, president of the Kolar District Mango Growers and Marketing Association, informed.
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According to him, this year was a triple whammy for mango growers. The district had unexpected rain and hailstorms, causing significant agricultural loss.
Furthermore, there was an Anthracnose fungal infestation on mangoes, and the third factor was a drop in mango prices, according to Reddy.
‘Farmers took only 30% of the produce this year, with half of the crops damaged due to fungal infestation. Furthermore, the drop in mango prices resulted in massive losses for growers’ The farmer grieved.
He stated that the government was completely focused on COVID and its relief efforts while ignoring the mango growers who had incurred terrible losses.
According to K V Nagaraju, chairman of the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited, the majority of the crop damaged this time is the Totapuri variety, with other harvests suffering minimal losses.
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‘I went there with R Shankar, the state Horticulture Minister. Only the Totapuri variety of mango was infected by fungus. The mangoes Benisha (Banaganapalli), Neelam, and Mallika suffered relatively little damage’ Nagaraju stated.
He further stated that he has written to the government requesting compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for Kolar’s Totapuri growers who have suffered losses.
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