Andhra Pradesh: Nuzvid mango cultivators tasting the bitter fruits of lockdown

HYDERABAD: Mango farmers from the famous Nuzvid area of Andhra Pradesh are one of the worst-hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Although transport restrictions have eased, mango farmers failed to make profits as most of the fruit markets are closed.
“I spent a lot of money to protect the crop from pests during the flowering season. Usually, we spray pesticides twice, but this year, we had to spray it four times,” said M Rajasekhar Reddy, a mango farmer who owns an eight-acre orchard in Jangamgudem of Nuzvid.The farmer said that he normally earns around Rs 25,000 per tonne of mangoes, but due to the lockdown, he made only Rs 10,000 per tonne so far this season.
Further, this season has seen no supply activity due to the absence of workforce in the orchards. “Export market has also been affected,” Reddy said.
Another cause for worry is that the farmers are afraid to travel to other states due to the spread of coronavirus. “Recently, a few farmers who had gone to Chennai to sell mangoes for a better price contracted coronavirus infection. So farmers here in Nuzvid are afraid to travel to markets in other metro cities,” he said.
Further, the closure of Gaddi Annaram market in Hyderabad, one of the biggest fruit markets in the two Telugu states, has also impacted Nuzvid farmers.
Mango is widely grown in Reddygudem, Visannapet, Musunur, Chatrai, Agiripalli and G Konduru mandals around Nuzvid in Krishna district. A Kotaiah, another farmer from Ramanakkapet near Nuzvid, said, “Supply of mangoes to markets in Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi and other north Indian cities has come down. Local juice factories are buying Rs 7 per kg. This is a huge loss. Lockdown has impacted us badly.” Unseasonal rains have also impacted mango production.
Farmers said that though the railway authorities are helping them supply mangoes to consumers and markets, they are unable to get a reasonable price for their produce and are instead ending up paying transport charges.
Mango is widely grown in Reddygudem, Visannapet, Musunur, Chatrai, Agiripalli and G Konduru mandals around Nuzvid in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh