For centuries, the mango has been a fruit of diplomacy: owing to its much-loved taste, the fruit has mended relations and struck new friendships. Visiting country heads or political leaders in south Asia are gifted mangoes as a gesture by the host to strengthen ties.
However, in southern India, the mango has led to friction between the two states—Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Chittoor district in the Rayalaseema region is known for being home to multiple varieties of the mango, one of which is the ‘Totapuri’.
This variety, known for its pulp quality, is cultivated by farmers in and around the Chittoor district. It is also cultivated in parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu that share borders with the Chittoor region.
There is a thriving food processing industry in the district, where units convert the fruit extracts into pulp that is later sold to beverage companies.
This year, there was a bumper crop, and the locals farmers managed to get a high yield of Totapuri mangoes, leading to a price crash.
With an abundant produce and farmers ruing about the lack of good buying prices, the district administration fixed a rate for pulp manufacturers to procure mangoes from farmers.
The District Collectorate also decided to pitch in to sustain the amount by bearing around 33 per cent of the fixed amount to help manufacturers and farmers.
At the same time, since the mangoes were selling at a very low price in the neighbouring states, as well as to avoid competition and loss to Andhra farmers, the district banned the entry of mangoes from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
This has led to the Karnataka Chief Minister as well as the Chief Secretary shooting off letters to their Andhra Pradesh counterparts to lift the ban and allow the entry of mangoes from their state.
Karnataka is worried that AP’s move would hurt their farmers and put them in distress since they were dependent on the units in Chittoor.
The Karnataka government is now planning to take retaliatory steps for blocking agricultural produce from entering Karnataka, if Andhra Pradesh does not budge from its stand.
