KHAMMAM: Mango farmers in erstwhile Khammam district are appealing to the State government to purchase their produce as traders, due to the lockdown, have not turned up. Meanwhile, the lack of proper procurement centres is also taking toll on the farmers. The farmers cultivated mangoes across 47,000 acres of land in both Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts and they are expecting a yield of 92,000 tonnes this year.
It has to be mentioned here that as many as 15,000 families in the erstwhile district rely on growing mangoes for their livelihood and erstwhile Khammam district tops the list in terms of mango cultivation in the State. Meanwhile, the farmers who were hoping that the State government would take steps to purchase their crop were shattered after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s interaction with the media last day, during which he stated that the government will not be purchasing mango from the growers and urged the farmers to make arrangements themselves for the sale. Every year, by this time, traders come from various places across the nation, including New Delhi, Pune and Maharashtra, and start purchasing the mangoes from the farmers.
However, even as the mango produce is ready to be cut from the trees, traders have not turned up, leaving the farmers in the lurch. Mangoes cultivated in the erstwhile district used to exported to other countries like China, Malaysia and Singapore. However, the Covid outbreak has brought all this to a standstill and the growers are now in dire straits. Speaking to Express, district horticulture officer J Mariyanna said that not only mango growers but those who cultivate other crops are also facing problems due to the Covid outbreak.
He requested the State government to take a decision on exporting the mangoes. “We will apprise the government of the farmers’ problems,” said Mariyanna. One such farmer from Kandukur village, K Venkateswara Reddy, has appealed to the State to buy his produce. N Srinivas, another mango farmer from Dammapet village, said they have suffered a lot as the yield this year is less while the investments were high. B Satyanarayana, a farmer from Aswaraopet village, said his crop has reached its end-stage. If he does not cut his fruit, then it will be damaged. Farmers feel that if the government does not rescue them, they will be forced to live on the streets.