BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to withdraw the ban on entry of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka into Chittoor district in AP.
In a letter to Naidu, the Karnataka CM stated that the abrupt and unilateral move has caused considerable hardship to mango growers in Karnataka, particularly those in the border regions who cultivate Totapuri mangoes in substantial quantities.
“These farmers have long relied on the robust linkages with Chitroor-based processing and pulp extraction units for marketing their produce. The current restriction has disrupted this well-established supply chain and threatens significant post-harvest losses, directly impacting the livelihoods of thousands of farmers,” the CM stated.
Siddaramaiah said actions of this nature taken without prior consultation or coordination run contrary to the spirit of cooperative federalism.
“I am also concerned that this may lead to avoidable tension and retaliatory measures, with stakeholders already expressing discontent that could potentially disrupt the inter-state movement of vegetables and other agricultural commodities,” the CM stated.
He urged Naidu to direct the district authorities in Chittoor to immediately revoke the ban on entry of mangoes from Karnataka.