A bumper harvest has failed to translate into better earnings for Totapuri mango farmers in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, as a steep decline in prices has pushed many growers into financial distress. 

Farmers say the steep decline in prices has come at a time when labour charges, pesticides and other input costs have risen significantly, leaving them with little or no profit.

Mango grower Chinnappa Reddy said farmers are forced to sell their produce regardless of the price because mangoes cannot be stored for long.

He pointed out that daily wages for labourers have increased from around Rs 550 last year to nearly Rs 700-750 this season.

Additionally, expenses on transportation, food for workers and pesticides have surged, putting further pressure on growers.

Another farmer, Ramachandra Reddy, said the income from selling mangoes is not even enough to cover labour costs.

Recalling last year's government support of Rs 4 per kilogram, he urged the authorities to provide similar assistance this season to help farmers cope with mounting losses.

However, the crisis extends beyond mango cultivation, according to social activists.

Purushottam Reddy, coordinator of the Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum, said several commercial crops in the region are fetching poor prices due to changes in international markets and other factors.

He warned that farmers in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, who largely depend on commercial crops, would struggle to sustain their livelihoods without remunerative prices.

Amid growing concern, the Centre has constituted a high-level committee under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to examine the sharp fall in Totapuri mango prices and the distress faced by growers in Andhra Pradesh.

The committee has been tasked with submitting a detailed report recommending measures to address the crisis and support affected farmers.