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News18
13-06-2025
- Business
- News18
Siddaramaiah Puts Mango Matchup With Andhra In Centre's 'Aambit', Seeks Urgent Intervention
Last Updated: Siddaramaiah has urged union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to implement a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for mango The mango war between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh has been escalated by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has written to union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeking immediate intervention. Siddaramaiah has urged the Centre to implement a 'Price Deficiency Payment Scheme" (PDPS) for mangoes under the Market Intervention Scheme. He has also called for designated central procurement agencies like NAFED and NCCF to begin procurement at an approved intervention price. This, he said, would act as a safety net for mango farmers and ensure they receive at least the minimum cost of cultivation. 'Timely intervention would help stabilise prices, prevent further rural distress, and ensure the farming community's interests are protected during this difficult period," Siddaramaiah said. The move follows a lack of response from Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to an earlier letter from Siddaramaiah, as well as an appeal made by Karnataka chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh to her Andhra counterpart seeking withdrawal of a ban imposed on the entry of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka into Chittoor district. In his June 11 letter to Naidu, Siddaramaiah described the ban as 'unilateral" and contrary to the spirit of cooperative federalism. He warned that such actions could trigger retaliatory measures and further strain interstate relations. Earlier, chief secretary Rajneesh had also written to Andhra counterpart K Vijayanand, urging him to revoke the order issued by the Chittoor district administration. 'This abrupt restriction has severely impacted mango farmers in Karnataka's border districts, who rely heavily on Chittoor-based processing units. The disruption of this long-standing trade link could result in significant post-harvest losses," she noted. Explaining the crisis to the Centre, Siddaramaiah said mango farmers in Karnataka are suffering major losses as prices crash during peak harvest. Mango is cultivated across over 1.39 lakh hectares in districts such as Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, and Bengaluru South, with an estimated 8–10 lakh metric tonnes expected this season. Prices, which had peaked at Rs 12,000 per quintal, have dropped to as low as Rs 3,000. The Karnataka State Agricultural Price Commission estimates the cost of cultivation at Rs 5,466 per quintal. 'This mismatch is placing enormous financial strain on growers," Siddaramaiah said. Every year, nearly three lakh tonnes of Totapuri mangoes are transported from Karnataka to pulp processing units in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. But this season, processors are offering just Rs 4 per kg—a rate farmers say is completely unsustainable. 'It's inadequate," said Nalathur Chinnappa Reddy, president of the Kolar Mango Producers' Association. Reddy said Andhra Pradesh has fixed a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 8 per kg for Totapuri, with the state subsidising Rs 4. 'Our harvest season has just begun. We have only a month to sell our crop," he said. Chittoor collector Sumeet Kumar, who issued the entry ban, defended the decision, saying it was aimed at protecting local farmers and stabilising the market. Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu are major hubs for mango pulp processing. After two years of low Totapuri yields, processors had paid higher prices. However, reduced off-take by multinational buyers and exporters in 2022–23 and 2023–24 led to stockpiles, prompting a steep cut in procurement prices this year. First Published: June 13, 2025, 21:31 IST
India Gazette
13-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah writes to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeks urgent help for mango farmers
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 13 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday write a letter to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, asking for urgent help for mango farmers in the state. He said that mango prices have dropped sharply this season, causing big losses for farmers. Many small and marginal farmers are struggling to even cover their basic costs. In his letter, the Chief Minister requested the Centre to start a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme and begin immediate procurement through agencies like NAFED to support farmers and stop further distress in rural areas. 'I am writing to draw your immediate and personal attention to the severe distress being faced by mango farmers across Karnataka due to a sharp and unsustainable decline in market prices during the current harvest season. Mango is one of Karnataka's major horticultural crops, cultivated over an area of approximately 1.39 lakh hectares, with an estimated production of 8-10 lakh metric tonnes this Rabi season, particularly in Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, and Bangalore South districts,' the letter reads. 'During the peak harvest months of May to July, heavy market arrivals have led to substantial price fluctuations. Market prices, which earlier hovered around 12,000 per quintal, have now plummeted to as low as 23,000 per quintal, while the Karnataka State Agriculture Price Commission has recommended the cost of cultivation at 25,466 per quintal. This sharp mismatch between production costs and market realisations has placed the farming community under acute financial stress,' the letter reads. Siddaramaiah has said that thousands of small mango farmers are facing big losses and can't even cover their basic farming costs. In his letter to the Centre, he warned that farmer protests are rising and the situation could become worse if quick action is not taken. 'Thousands of small and marginal mango growers are unable to recover even their basic input costs, leading to widespread protests and growing agrarian anxiety. Unless prompt and effective intervention is undertaken, this crisis may lead to serious socio-economic consequences in the region,' the letter further reads. He asked the central government to quickly start a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme to help mango farmers. He also requested agencies like NAFED and NCCF to begin buying mangoes at fair prices to make sure farmers get at least their basic costs. This support will help stop farmers from facing more losses and protect their income during this hard time. 'In view of this grave situation, I earnestly request that immediate steps be taken to implement a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for mango, as an urgent policy response. Necessary directions may also be issued to designated central procurement egencies such as NAFED and NCCF to initiate procurement operations immediately at an appropriato intervention price, ensuring that farmers receive at foast the minimum cost of cultivation as a safety net Such a timely intervention will not only help to stabilize prices but also prevent further deepening of rural distress and will ensure that the interests of our farming community are adequately protected during this difficult period. I look forward to your immediate and sympathetic consideration in the larger interest of lakhs of farmers in Karnataka,' the letter further mentioned. (ANI)
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Wheat procurement hits zero in Kumaon as farmers turn to open mkt
Rudrapur: For the first time in five years, not a single grain of wheat has been procured by govt centres in Kumaon this season, as farmers sold their produce to private buyers offering rates well above the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The procurement season, which began on April 1 and runs till June 30, has drawn a complete blank across all 53 govt centres set up in Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, and Champawat. The MSP for wheat was set at ₹2,425 per quintal, but farmers fetched prices ranging from ₹2,625 to ₹2,750 in the open market. "Since the open market is offering rates higher than MSP, farmers are naturally selling there. That's why procurement at govt centres has dropped to zero this year," said Ashok Kumar, deputy RMO, food department. The global wheat shortage caused by the Ukraine-Russia war has pushed international prices up, inadvertently benefiting Indian farmers but leaving state procurement efforts redundant. "We will be taking up the matter with senior officials in Dehradun for necessary intervention," the RMO said. Despite 38 centres being run by cooperative societies and others by the food department and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) of India, no procurement has taken place. Official data shows a consistent fall in wheat procurement over the past five years. In 2021–22, 122,703 metric tonnes were procured against a target of 1.85 lakh metric tonnes. That dropped to just 54.65 metric tonnes in 2024–25, with a lower target of 40,000 metric tonnes. This year's target stands at 38,000 MT—but not a single kilogram has been purchased so far.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Counting losses due to delay in onion procurement by government: Maharashtra farmers
Onion farmers in Maharashtra have accused the government-appointed nodal agencies of delaying crop procurement, claiming that it caused huge losses after unseasonal rains hit the state in May. The "failure" to buy onions on time under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) mechanism meant the produce that could have been stored and sold was instead left exposed to adverse weather, leading to spoilage and financial distress, they said. Under the PSF, nodal agencies like the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India ( NAFED ) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India ( NCCF ) are tasked with stabilising prices and protecting farmers' interests by procuring onions and other notified commodities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Where Sheikh Hamdan Dines in Dubai savoirflair Learn More Undo State government sources confirmed that the procurement process this year did not commence as scheduled, leaving farmers without institutional support. "NAFED and NCCF were supposed to procure 10 per cent of the scheduled quantity in April and 45 per cent in May. Had they followed this timeline, about 1.65 lakh tonnes of onions would have been procured and safely stored," said Bharat Dighole, president of the Maharashtra State Onion Producers' Association. Live Events "Instead, the delay meant farmers had to keep onions in makeshift storage, many without proper facilities. The rains came, and the crop was lost," he claimed. According to preliminary estimates from the state revenue department, over 3,000 hectares of onion cultivation got damaged due to unseasonal showers between May 5 and 21. With an average productivity of 400 quintals per hectare, the loss might run into thousands of tonnes. Farmers say the procurement agencies' "inaction" forced them to gamble on short-term solutions. "We covered our onions with plastic sheets, thinking the showers would last a few days," said Sanjay Sathe, a farmer from Niphad in Nashik district. However, the rains didn't stop, and the covered onions began to rot due to excessive moisture, he said. "Those who had taken their produce to the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) lost their entire stock as the onions had been kept in open areas," said Sathe. A lot of stock would have gone to warehouses had NAFED and NCCF begun procurement on time, and farmers would have at least recovered some money, he said. "But the delay ruined everything," added the onion grower. Heavy rains lashed several parts of the state in May this year, which also saw the early arrival of monsoon. Farmers have also claimed that "malpractices" and inadequate infrastructure have marred Maharashtra's onion procurement efforts. In the current year, NAFED aimed to procure 1.5 lakh tonnes of onions from the state for buffer stock. In 2024-25, the agency had procured 1.75 lakh tonnes from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh combined, while NCCF secured 2.5 lakh tonnes, against its target of 5 lakh tonnes, Doghole claimed. Though onions arrive in the market both before and after the monsoon, only the pre-monsoon crop is procured by government agencies due to its low moisture content. The post-monsoon harvest, which has a high water content, is sold directly in the market. NAFED last year had filed cases against six Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in Maharashtra for allegedly creating fake procurement records, which appears to have slowed down procurement operations this year, said farmers. "We have blacklisted six federations that failed to deliver onions as required," a NAFED official had said in February this year. Farmers and activists have claimed that the procurement process is opaque and often favours intermediaries. FPCs and traders often pose as genuine sellers and divert stocks to the open market at a profit, they said. "The system needs to be more transparent. The government talks about helping farmers, but we see the same problems every year," said Dighole. The lack of scientific storage facilities is another major problem. A 2023 Agriculture Ministry report acknowledged the problem, noting that "the storage of onion is challenging as the majority of the stock is stored in open ventilated structures". According to farmers, a ban on onion exports and a 40 per cent duty, which lasted through 2023-24, continued to depress prices and production incentives into 2025. Though the export restrictions were lifted in April 2024, their impact lingers, they said. "We were already struggling because of the export ban," said Hari Gaikwad, a farmer from Pimpalgaon in Nashik district. "Now, the government fails to buy our produce in time. It's the farmer who suffers every time. We are the ones who got hit both times," he said. The system must be "fixed", Dighole said. "If procurement agencies cannot function as intended, they are failing the very people they are meant to serve," he said.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
TNCSC to take over DPCs from NCCF in eight districts
The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has informed the farmers that it would take over the Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs) operated by the representative of the National Consumer Cooperative Federation (NCCF) in eight districts in Tamil Nadu reportedly due to the concerns raised by the farmers with respect to the procurement of paddy. Disclosing this to the media, the president of Tamil Nadu Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations P. R. Pandian said the State's consent to allow the NCCF to procure paddy from the farmers in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli through its representative, the Tamil Nadu Paddy and Rice Processing Federation (TNPRPF), led to delay or non-payment of sales proceeds or non-procurement of paddy at several places in these eight districts. Subsequently, the Farmers' Federation and local farmers' associations announced an agitation on May 27 seeking the take over of the paddy procurement operations by the TNCSC from NCCF. However, a meeting in this regard was held at Chennai on May 26, where it was declared that the TNCSC would take over the paddy procurement operations from the NCCF's representative organisation in these eight districts. The allegations of non-payment of sale proceeds and delay in procurement of paddy would be sorted out soon by the Corporation, said Mr. P. R. Pandian.
