Govt Extends Support to Totapuri Mango, Cocoa Farmers in Andhra Pradesh Crisis

Quick Summary

• The Andhra Pradesh government has sanctioned ₹260 crore as a support price for Totapuri mango farmers, offering ₹4 per kg for 6.50 lakh tonnes of produce this season under a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP).
• This intervention aims to prevent distress sales and sustain mango cultivation in the combined Chittoor district.
• Another sum of ₹14.89 crore has been allocated to procure unsold cocoa beans from farmers at ₹50 per kg, affecting nearly 2,977 tonnes of produce this season under SoP guidelines.
• Complaints from cocoa farmers about low remunerative prices prompted this action, with calls for international market parity being acknowledged.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The Andhra Pradesh governmentS intervention reflects an attempt to stabilize horticultural markets that have recently seen significant distress among producers due to unfavorable pricing conditions. Supporting vulnerable farming communities not only sustains livelihoods but also secures future cultivation cycles critical to both regional economies and food supply chains.

The direct financial aid aligns with broader agricultural preservation policies by addressing immediate challenges like unsold stock and low market demand while averting potential farmer exits from these sectors. however, the fixed pricing approach might require close monitoring to ensure equitable implementation without compromising free-market dynamics long-term-especially with requests linking domestic cocoa prices to international benchmarks gaining traction.Such measures could serve as templates or case studies across other states facing similar agricultural crises or volatile commodity markets.
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