WB mango growers seek govt support

Mango growers in Malda district of West Bengal are in a fix. Despite a bumper yield of crops, they are unable to make profit. They are struggling to recover the cost of production this season and have sought government's intervention for incentives to encourage more export of the 'king of fruits' from Malda to other states and overseas. Malda and Murshidabad districts in Bengal are famous for the luscious summer fruit.

The Malda Merchants Association has also sought common testing and export facilitation centers in Malda, as well as a mango processing facility to support growers and the regional economy. The Association's president Ujjal Saha said that the government had in the past recognised the two districts as designated export zones for mangoes. But it remained only in pen and paper. Over the past two to three years, an additional 200 hectares at least have been brought under mango cultivation in the region. Farmers are currently earning only Rs 10 per kg at the farm level, while the cost of production is around Rs 15 per kg. This is due to high production level and lack of commensurate demand, despite exports to neighbouring states.

The production of mangoes in Malda this season is estimated to be around 4,00,000 tonnes, up from 3,00,000 tonnes in the previous year. Currently about 31,000 hectares are under mango cultivation. The overseas export demand is not good as of now and there is some requirement from north India. "We need to export about 100 truckloads to fetch a remunerative price, but the daily supply just makes for about 40. The mango farmers of the district have not benefited due to the high yield of the fruit this year," Saha said. The lack of government initiatives, including testing centers and crop preservation facilities is exacerbating the problem.

The association has urged the central and state governments to take action to support the local mango industry and ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their produce. The state horticulture department has acknowledged that the realisation was far less this year than the previous year. However, the department's role is very limited and it does not have the scope to address the concerns raised by the association. On the issue of setting up more testing centers, the department said that it has been found that the existing ones find it difficult to survive due to the seasonal nature of the business.

The West Bengal government's Mango Utsav in Delhi helped to sell 35 tonnes (35,000 kg) of mangoes during the fortnight-long festival that concluded on June 19. A total seven mango-producing districts had participated in it.