Rayalaseema Farmers in Distress As Mango, Lemon Prices Crash

Kurnool: Mango farmers across Rayalaseema are anguished following a sharp and continuous fall in prices of the fruit over the past few weeks.

Mangoes that fetched as high as ₹120 per kg in the first week of May are now being sold for as low as ₹30 per kg. The steep decline in prices has particularly impacted the popular Benishan variety, often hailed as the “king of taste,” triggering widespread dissatisfaction among farmers.

Rayalaseema districts contribute over 35 per cent of the state’s total mango production. Thus the fall in prices harms the region’s agrarian economy. Major varieties cultivated in the region include Benishan, Lalbahar, Khadar, Totapuri, and Kesar.

According to market trends, Benishan mangoes that once commanded a rate of ₹40,000 per tonne are now fetching only ₹15,000 to ₹18,000 per tonne depending on grade. Lalbahar prices too have dropped from ₹25,000 to around ₹15,000 per tonne. Totapuri mangoes are in an even worse condition, failing to fetch even ₹10,000 per tonne.

“We are being forced to sell our product at whatever price traders offer,” said Mandi Ramarao, a farmer from Veeraballi in Kadapa district. “Due to extreme heat, we cannot store the produce for long. We have no direct access to markets. Traders come to the orchards and fix prices themselves,” he lamented.

Mango cultivation is widespread in Pulivendula, Railway Koduru, Rajampet, and Veeraballi in Kadapa district, while in Nandyal district, areas like Dhone and Pyapili are key production centres. Kurnool district alone has around 8,000 hectares under mango cultivation, followed by 6,000 hectares in Nandyal and nearly 10,000 hectares in Kadapa.

Nandyal district horticulture officer C. Nagaraju said mango prices typically fall in June compared to May. “However, this year the decline has been sharper than usual. Only one or two premium varieties are fetching around ₹70 per kg,” he stated.

Farmers say the situation has worsened due to unseasonal rains and early crop losses. “We already suffered heavy losses due to untimely rains. Now, with prices collapsing, the situation has become unbearable,” said Marella Srinivasa Reddy, a farmer from Pulivendula constituency. “Earlier, crops like banana and papaya had been damaged by strong winds. Now, it is the turn of mangoes,” he pointed out.

Adding to the farmers’ woes, lemon farmers are also witnessing a steep fall in prices. In mid-May, a 43-kg bag of lemons fetched up to ₹7,500. But the same is now being sold for around ₹2,000. “Prices had been good initially prices. But with scattered rains, the demand has fallen sharply,” said M. Narayana Reddy, a farmer from Nandyal district. Now the prices have completely dropped.

With both mango and lemon prices crashing, farmers across Rayalaseema are urging the government to step in with price stabilisation measures and better market access to prevent further losses.

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* Current Mango Market Prices (Rayalaseema)

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Variety – Price in May (Per Tonne) – Current Price (Approx.) (₹ Per Tonne)

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Benishan – ₹40,000 – ₹15,000

Khadar – ₹26,000 – ₹20,000

Lalbahar – ₹20,000 – ₹14,000

Totapuri – ₹16,000 – ₹8,000