Tensions between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have escalated after the Andhra Pradesh government imposed a ban on the import of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka into Chittoor district. Justifying the move, Andhra officials said on Thursday that the decision was taken to protect local farmers from price crashes and market disruption.
According to state sources, Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka are being sold at significantly lower prices—around Rs 5 per kg—compared to Andhra Pradesh’s announced procurement rate of Rs 8 per kg. The Andhra government has further committed to supporting its farmers with an additional Rs 4 per kg subsidy, ensuring they receive a total of Rs 12 per kg for mangoes sold to pulp processing units.
Officials argued that if cheaper mangoes from Karnataka flood the market, local processors would prefer them, undermining Andhra farmers’ earnings and possibly leading to a law and order situation. The state is targeting the procurement of 5.5 lakh tonnes of Totapuri mangoes this season, at an estimated cost of Rs 220 crore.
To safeguard local growers, the Chittoor district administration on June 7 banned the import of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The ban, however, sparked sharp reactions from the Karnataka government, which called the move sudden, harmful and against the spirit of cooperative federalism.
In a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed serious concern. He said the ban had disrupted long-standing supply chains between Karnataka farmers—especially those in the border regions—and Chittoor-based pulp processing units.
“This abrupt and unilateral move has caused considerable hardship to mango growers in Karnataka. These farmers depend on access to Chittoor’s processing market. Now, they face major post-harvest losses and income shocks,” Siddaramaiah wrote. He warned that such unilateral decisions, taken without inter-state consultation, could result in retaliatory tensions and disrupt the movement of other agricultural goods between states.
Also read: India’s first quantum computing ecosystem to come up in Andhra
“Actions of this nature risk avoidable tensions and contradict the principles of cooperative federalism,” he added, urging Naidu to revoke the order and restore inter-state agricultural trade.
Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh also reached out to her Andhra counterpart, K Vijayanand, echoing the concerns. She argued that the ban undermined national unity in agricultural policy and could trigger backlash from farmers as well as traders alike. Andhra Pradesh, however, remains firm in its stance. Officials have advised the Karnataka government to announce its own minimum procurement price to support farmers and prevent market manipulation.
With peak mango season underway and thousands of livelihoods at stake in both states, the dispute remains unresolved. The centre is yet to respond or intervene in what could soon become a significant inter-state agricultural standoff.
Follow us
