Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to revoke the ban on the entry of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka into Chittoor district. The Chief Minister described the move as unilateral and warned it could strain inter-state relations and harm thousands of farmers.

In a letter dated June 11, Siddaramaiah expressed serious concern over the restriction imposed by the Chittoor District Collector on June 7, which prohibits the entry of Totapuri mangoes from other states. The ban is reportedly being enforced by multidisciplinary teams involving officials from the Revenue, Police, Forest, and Marketing departments stationed at check-posts along the Andhra Pradesh borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Siddaramaiah highlighted that the order has already caused significant disruption to the longstanding supply chain linking Karnataka’s mango growers, particularly those in the Srinivasapura region of Kolar district, to processing and pulp extraction units in Chittoor. These farmers, he noted, are now facing serious post-harvest losses, impacting their livelihoods at the peak of the mango season.

He cautioned that such measures, taken without prior consultation, run counter to the principles of cooperative federalism. “This may lead to avoidable tension and retaliatory measures,” Siddaramaiah wrote, noting growing discontent among farmers that could affect the inter-state movement of vegetables and other perishables.

The issue has already sparked local unrest, with farmers in Srinivasapura staging protests and observing a taluk-level bandh on Wednesday. Their demands include a support price for mangoes and the immediate lifting of the ban by Andhra Pradesh.

Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh had also written to her Andhra Pradesh counterpart K. Vijayanand on June 10, requesting a revocation of the order.

Calling on Naidu to act swiftly, Siddaramaiah urged him to instruct the Chittoor authorities to withdraw the directive and restore the free flow of agricultural goods. “I trust that you will treat this issue with the seriousness it warrants, and take swift steps to restore the seamless movement of agricultural produce in the interest of farmer welfare,” he wrote.