MADURAI: With the mango harvest season gaining momentum in Madurai district, farmers cultivating the Kallamai (Kilimooku/Totapuri) variety have raised concerns over low prices, alleging that the returns are insufficient to cover cultivation and maintenance costs. Farmers demanded the new government to fix MSP to prevent loss.
According to the Horticulture Department, Madurai district has more than 5,000 hectares under mango cultivation. Varieties such as Banganapalli, Kallamai and several other varieties are cultivated across the district, making mango farming a key source of livelihood for hundreds of growers in the region.
Madurai central Market Traders Association president N Chinnamayan said Kallamai mangoes were currently being sold in the market at Rs 15 to Rs 20 per kilo depending on quality and arrivals. Other varieties such as Banganapalli and other popular varieties have a decent prices ranging from Rs 50-200 per kilo in the fruit markets in Madurai.
In terms of Kallamai mangos, Kesampatti C Jeeva, a farmer and leader of Tamilar Makkal Iyakkam, who owns an eight-acre mango farm, cultivating majorly Kallamai varieties, said “Farmers were struggling to sustain cultivation due to fluctuating market prices. Farmers spend heavily on maintaining orchards throughout the year, but the prices offered during procurement remain poor,” he alleged. Jeeva claimed that while traders and middlemen sell the produce at significantly higher rates in markets, many farmers receive only Rs 5 to Rs 8 per kilogram at the procurement level. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to fix a minimum support price of Rs 20 per kilogram for the variety, which is widely used in pulp manufacturing units.
Backing the farmers’ claims, S Arun, another mango grower from the district, said that most cultivators were unable to secure remunerative prices despite favourable demand. “At best, many farmers get around Rs 8 per kilo, which is not enough,” he said.
Farmer leader T Manikandan from Madurai said that the horticulture department should encourage farmers to opt for newer varieties such as Himam Pasand, Banganapalli and others which have notably higher demand in market. They fetch nearly 80- 180 rupees per kilo, whereas Kallamai lack market demand comparatively.