CM Siddaramaiah writes to union agri minister for timely intervention to help mango farmers
Bengaluru, Jun 13 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday requested Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shivaraj Singh Chouhan for an urgent Price Deficiency Payment and Market Intervention Scheme for mango farmers in Karnataka.
He has written to the union minister drawing his attention to the "severe distress" being faced by mango farmers across Karnataka due to a sharp and unsustainable decline in market prices during the current harvest season.
"Mango is one of Karnataka's major horticultural crops, cultivated over an area of approximately 1.39 lakh hectares with estimated production of 8-10 lakh metric tonne this Rabi season, particularly in Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, and Bengaluru South districts," Siddaramaiah said in a letter.
Noting that during the peak harvest months of May to July, heavy market arrivals have led to substantial price fluctuations, he said market prices, which earlier hovered around Rs 12,000 per quintal, have now plummeted to as low as Rs 3,000 per quintal, while the Karnataka State Agriculture Price Commission has recommended the cost of cultivation at Rs 5,466 per quintal.
"This sharp mismatch between production costs and market realisations has placed the farming community under acute financial stress," he added.
Highlighting that thousands of small and marginal mango growers are unable to recover even their basic input costs, leading to widespread protests and growing agrarian anxiety, the CM said unless prompt and effective intervention is undertaken, this crisis may lead to serious socio-economic consequences in the region.
"In view of this grave situation, I earnestly request that immediate steps be taken to implement a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for mangoes, as an urgent policy response.
Necessary directions may also be issued to designated central procurement agencies such as NAFED and NCCF to initiate procurement operations immediately at an appropriate intervention price, ensuring that farmers receive at least the minimum cost of cultivation as a safety net," he said.
Such a timely intervention will not only help to stabilise prices but also prevent further deepening of rural distress and will ensure that the interests of our farming community are adequately protected during this difficult period, Siddaramaiah pointed out.
"I look forward to your immediate and sympathetic consideration in the larger interest of lakhs of farmers in Karnataka," he added.
Farmers in Srinivasapura, a major mango growing belt in Kolar district, bordering Andhra Pradesh, held protests and observed a taluk-level bandh on Wednesday, demanding a support price for mangoes and withdrawal of a ban imposed by the neighbouring state.
Siddaramaiah has written to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to withdraw the ban on entry of "Totapuri Mangoes" from Karnataka into Chittoor district of his state.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
