Farmer distributes four tonnes of mangoes for free amid steep fall in prices

ELURU: A mango farmer distributed four tonnes of mangoes to people at the Nuzividu sub-collector office in Eluru in protest against the steep fall of the prices in the market and alleged that the local merchants have formed into a syndicate and thus lowering the prices.

Bekkam Rajagopal, a farmer of Kotha Edara village of Agiripalli mandal in Eluru district, has taken the king-sized Banaganapalle mangoes to Bothanapalli mango market in a tractor where he received a backlash from the traders after they rated the price below the expected.

Rajagopal, who was devastated, returned from the market and distributed the produce to the people near the Collectorate office in Nuzividu.

However, he requested the government officials to intervene and provide a Minimum Support Price to the mangoes to bring out the farmers from the losses.

It is learned that the mango farmers have faced hardships with the mango yield coming in smaller size and losing the quality due to untimely rains, which eventually led to the fall in the prices. Moreover, the farmers are also being exploited by the market traders.

The farmers who are suffering from huge losses have expressed concern as they are not even getting the labour costs for the yields.