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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Probe into Zubeen Garg's death ongoing, no foul play suspected yet: Singapore police
Singapore (PTI): Investigations into the death of singer Zubeen Garg are ongoing but so far no foul play is suspected, Singapore police have said.
Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19.
The case is currently still being investigated by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), in accordance with the Singapore Coroners Act 2010, the police said on Thursday.
“Based on our investigations so far, the SPF does not suspect foul play in the death of Garg,” said the statement.
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Upon completion of the investigations, the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner in Singapore, who will hold a Coroner’s Inquiry (CI), currently scheduled for January and February 2026.
A CI is a fact-finding process led by the Coroner to establish the cause and circumstances of death. Its findings will be made public upon conclusion, said the SPF.
Singapore police are committed to conducting a thorough and professional investigation into the case, it said.
“We seek the patience and understanding of the parties involved. Meanwhile, we urge the public not to speculate and spread unverified information,” said SPF.
A Special Investigation Team probing Garg's death charged four accused, including the singer’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, with murder in a chargesheet filed in a court in India last week.
Garg was due to perform at the 4th Northeast India Festival at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 20.
