Mango Growers Await Payments From Pulp Industries

Mango growers in Chittoor district are facing difficulties as pulp industries have delayed payments for mangoes supplied two months ago. Farmers said they were still waiting for their dues and urged the State government to intervene and ensure that the pending payments were released at the earliest.

The erstwhile combined Chittoor district has 1.12 lakh hectares under mango cultivation, including about 55,000 hectares of Totapuri. Pulp industries purchased around five lakh tonnes of mangoes during the season. Around ₹300 crore is reportedly pending from the industries, while the government is preparing to release an incentive of ₹200 crore.

The government had directed pulp industries to pay ₹8,000 a tonne for mangoes and announced an incentive of ₹4,000 a tonne. However, some processing units offered only ₹5,000 a tonne, while others paid ₹6,000. Farmers supplied the fruit despite the lower rates.

“We supplied mangoes to a pulp industry in the first week of July. The owner issued a bill at ₹5,000 a tonne, but the amount has not been credited yet,” said Kota Nagendra, a farmer from Puttur in Tirupati district.

Sudhakar Naidu, a farmer from Kanipakam in Chittoor district, transported 45 tonnes of Totapuri mangoes grown on five acres to an industry at Narayanavanam. He has approached the owner twice seeking payment. He was initially told that the money would be deposited in September and was later asked to wait until October.

Chittoor District Horticulture Officer G. Satheesh said the department was taking steps to expedite the payments. “We are uploading all details relating to the incentive online. Once the process is completed, we will speak to the pulp industry owners and ensure that the amounts are credited to farmers’ accounts,” he said.

Regarding the government incentive, Mr. Satheesh said data collection from the pulp industries had been completed and was being verified. The department was checking e-crop registration and other eligibility requirements and was working to release the first instalment of the government incentive by September 15, he said.

However, farmers claimed that fewer than 10 per cent of growers in the erstwhile district had received their payments. They recalled that a pulp factory owner in Chittoor had allegedly delayed payments until Sankranti last season.

Farmers urged the government to ensure that the industry dues and government incentive were released without further delay.