Karnataka requests higher Totapuri mango limit for farmers in April 2026

Mango prices have dropped to ₹5 per kg, which is much lower than the ₹8.6 per kg cost to grow them. This is causing financial stress for farmers in Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
By Newsroom | Agriculture, Karnataka |

The government of Karnataka has formally requested the Union government to increase the approved procurement limit for Totapuri mangoes from 1.30 lakh metric tonnes (MT) to 5.20 lakh MT. This urgent plea follows the exhaustion of the initial quota, which has effectively halted registrations for the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).

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Current exhaustion of the support quota has left approximately 12,700 registered farmers in a state of financial precarity, threatening to escalate into widespread public unrest within the Kolar and Chikkaballapur belts.

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Market Dynamics and Intervention

The necessity for state intervention emerged as market prices for the Totapuri variety plummeted to approximately ₹5 per kilogram—a figure significantly below the calculated production cost of ₹8.6 per kilogram.

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  • Price Support: The Union government currently mandates a Market Intervention Price (MIP) of ₹1,750 per quintal.

  • Coverage: The scheme currently supports 1.30 lakh MT of produce.

  • Farmer Sentiment: Agricultural stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction, noting that previous years saw higher compensation levels, with some groups demanding support closer to ₹10 per kg to mitigate losses.

Institutional Backdrop

The intervention, championed by Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy following consultations with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, was initially designed as a Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) measure to stabilize the sector.

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MetricDetail
Current Procurement Limit1.30 Lakh MT
Requested Limit5.20 Lakh MT
Current Support Price₹1,750 / Quintal
Estimated Production Cost₹860 / Quintal

Reflective Context: The Fragility of Commodity-Specific Economies

The situation highlights the inherent risks of regional over-reliance on a single processing variety. When global or national demand for specific industrial mango derivatives—such as pulp—wanes, the Totapuri market loses its elasticity.

As the harvest season progresses, the disconnect between state-sanctioned support prices and the realities of the open market continues to deepen. The failure to expand the procurement ceiling may not only trigger law-and-order challenges in major producing districts like Dharwad, Belagavi, and Tumakuru but also expose the limits of current Price Deficiency Payment mechanisms when faced with systemic gluts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did Karnataka ask the Union government to increase the Totapuri mango procurement limit on 7 April 2026?
The current limit of 1.30 lakh metric tonnes is already finished. Increasing it to 5.20 lakh metric tonnes will help 12,700 farmers who cannot sell their mangoes at a fair price.
Q: How much are farmers losing on Totapuri mangoes right now?
Farmers are selling mangoes for about ₹5 per kilogram. This is less than the ₹8.6 per kilogram it costs them to grow the fruit.
Q: Which districts in Karnataka are most affected by the mango price crisis?
The Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts are facing the most trouble. Other areas like Dharwad, Belagavi, and Tumakuru are also at risk if the government does not act soon.
Q: What is the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) doing for mango farmers?
The PDPS is a government plan to pay farmers a set price when market prices fall too low. The current support price is ₹1,750 per quintal, but the system needs more money and higher limits to cover all the mangoes being grown.