CHITTOOR: Mango traders are apprehensive that the steep rise in freight charges may hit the fruit exports from Chittoor district this season. Chittoor is famous for fine varieties of mangoes. Totapuri variety mango is extensively cultivated in Chittoor. According to an estimate, mango crop is raised in about 97,000 hectares in the district. It has 50-60 mango pulp processing units.
Normally, the units purchase most of the fruit produce from farmers. Mangoes from Chittoor are exported to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other States. The fruit export season begins in April and ends in July. Chittoor mangoes are also exported to China, Germany, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Dubai and Switzerland
The freight charges for export of mangoes to foreign countries have gone up to Rs 5.70 lakh per tonne this year from Rs 2.70 lakh last year. Traders used to export 300 - 400 tonnes of mangoes to foreign countries from Chittoor prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the pandemic, about 120 tonnes of mangoes were exported last year. Chittoor mango market also attracts traders from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other States, who want to import the fruit.
“We get Rs 60-70 profit per kg on an average for exporting fine variety mangoes to other countries. The increased freight charges are likely to hit our profits this year. Hence, the Horticulture Department should intervene and take measures to boost the mango exports from Chittoor to safeguard the interests of growers,” said I Sudhakar Reddy, a farmer.
Normally, farmers who lay emphasis on mango exports, take better care to maintain the quality of the fruit, which fetches them good price in the international market. After setting a target for export of mangoes, the Horticulture Department has initiated steps to coordinate with other departments to realise the target and ensure remunerative price to farmers for their produce, official sources said.