Mango farmers, pulp firms must work together to tackle crisis: Andhra CM Naidu

At a meeting with mango farmers from the undivided Chittoor district and representatives of pulp companies and processing units at his residence in Kuppam, Naidu directed companies to immediately purchase mangoes from farmers.

"The government will also support the pulp industry and processing units," Naidu said in an official release.

He assured farmers that the government will formulate an action plan to ensure they do not face such issues in the future.

Officials informed Naidu that 1.12 lakh tonnes of mangoes have been procured so far, with another 1.7 lakh tonnes expected.

Farmers, however, pointed out that pulp companies are not buying mangoes due to a lack of orders and storage space.

Pulp companies and exporters said that while there are no import duties in markets like Pakistan and some African countries, tariffs in European markets remain high. They requested Naidu to take up the issue with the Centre and also seek a reduction in GST on mango pulp from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, the press release added.

The CM informed them that he had already written to the Centre regarding the GST issue and promised to pursue the matter further.

When representatives from the mango sector suggested including mango juice for three days in the mid-day meal scheme for students, Naidu said the government is already providing eggs, but assured them that the suggestion would be considered.