New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed the constitution of a high-level expert committee under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to examine the challenges being faced by Totapuri mango growers in Andhra Pradesh and recommend appropriate measures for the long-term development of the sector, it was announced on Friday.

The decision follows the minister’s recent visit to the state where farmers informed him that prices of the Totapuri mango variety, which is cultivated extensively for the processing industry, have declined significantly in recent months.

They highlighted that the sustained fall in prices has adversely affected their incomes and created considerable financial stress among mango-producing farmers in the state.

Chouhan has directed ICAR to constitute an expert committee comprising scientists and representatives of concerned institutions to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the Totapuri mango segment.

The committee has been entrusted with examining the entire value chain from cultivation and processing to marketing, domestic trade and exports and recommending suitable interventions to improve farmers’ returns and strengthen the sector on a sustainable basis.

The minister has instructed the committee to undertake field visits to the major Totapuri mango-growing regions of Andhra Pradesh within the next 10 days. During the visit, the committee will interact with farmers, representatives of the processing industry, exporters, officials of the State Horticulture Department, Farmer Producer Organisations and other stakeholders associated with the sector to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing situation, according to a statement.

The committee will examine the current status of Totapuri mango cultivation, production costs, farmers’ incomes, processing capacity and utilisation, demand-supply dynamics, and the factors responsible for the recent decline in prices in domestic as well as export markets.

It will also assess the challenges affecting different stages of the value chain and identify opportunities for improving efficiency, competitiveness and market access. Based on field observations, stakeholder consultations and scientific analysis, the committee will prepare a detailed assessment of the factors contributing to the decline in prices to facilitate evidence-based policy interventions.

According to an order issued by the ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow, the committee will be chaired by Dr. T. Damodaran, Director, ICAR–CISH, Lucknow.

–IANS

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