Centre’s intervention to stabilise Andhra mango sector | Explained

Published 4 July 2026 · india

In a major move to protect the interests of thousands of mango growers facing one of the sharpest price crashes in recent years, the Union

In a major move to protect the interests of thousands of mango growers facing one of the sharpest price crashes in recent years, the Union Government has approved a two-pronged strategy to stabilise Andhra Pradesh’s Totapuri mango sector, which generates an estimated annual turnover of over ₹4,000 crore. Apart from constituting a high-level expert panel headed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to examine the structural issues confronting the industry, the Centre has also cleared the implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for the 2026-27 marketing season. The crucial decisions came after a season of bumper production led to a steep fall in farm-gate prices, leaving mango growers across the erstwhile Chittoor district (now comprising parts of Tirupati, Chittoor and Annamayya districts) and other moderate and lesser-known mango-growing belts in the State struggling to recover even their initial investment. Mango pulp industry Unlike premium table varieties such as Banganapalli and Alphonso, Totapuri is cultivated almost exclusively for industrial processing. The variety is known for its fleshy pulp, high recovery rate, low fibre content and suitability for mechanised extraction. These qualities have made it the preferred raw material for India’s mango pulp industry. The pulp is widely used in fruit beverages, juices, bakeries, yoghurt, baby food, confectionery and a range of processed food products in both domestic and overseas markets.

Andhra Pradesh is India’s largest mango-producing State, with the crop cultivated over nearly five lakh hectares and an annual production of close to 40 lakh tonnes in a normal year. Totapuri is regarded as the backbone of the processing industry, with the erstwhile Chittoor district alone accounting for more than 1.2 lakh hectares under cultivation. Significant acreage is also found in Sri Sathya Sai, YSR Kadapa, Anantapur, Kurnool, Krishna and Anakapalli districts, besides smaller pockets in North Andhra. Chittoor has emerged as one of India’s largest mango-processing hubs, housing around 47 pulp processing units. These industries collectively procure nearly seven lakh tonnes of Totapuri mangoes and produce about four lakh tonnes of mango pulp. Nearly 80% of the pulp is exported to West Asia, Europe, the United States and Southeast Asian countries, while the remaining quantity caters to India’s food and beverage industry. During the 2024-26 seasons, favourable weather resulted in bumper harvests, but procurement by the pulp industry slowed considerably. Industry representatives argue that export demand from the Gulf region weakened from February and is yet to recover fully because of the ongoing West Asia crisis. Mismatch between supply and demand “The pulp industry was already carrying unsold inventories from previous seasons. The mismatch between supply and demand flooded procurement centres, causing prices to tumble,” said a pulp unit manager who claims to have witnessed over two dozen mango seasons in Chittoor.