Chittoor ( Andhra Pradesh): In a bold move dubbed the “Mango Wall” by local farmers, Chittoor district Collector Vikas reddy has imposed a ban on Totapuri mango imports from neighboring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, effective June 7, 2025, to shield local growers from a price crash triggered by a flood of cheaper produce. The decision has positioned him as a champion of Chittoor’s mango farmers, but it’s also ignited a fiery interstate dispute, with Karnataka crying foul and threatening retaliation. Chittoor, the heartland of Andhra pradesh’s mango industry, produces vast quantities of Totapuri mangoes, a variety prized for pulp production.
This season’s bumper crop, however, drove prices to a dismal Rs 5– Rs 6 per kg, threatening the livelihoods of local farmers. Stepping into the fray, Collector Reddy, with a Donald-trump-like flair for decisive actions, banned mango imports to protect the district’s market. To bolster farmers further, the Andhra pradesh government set a procurement price of Rs 8 per kg, sweetened with a Rs 4 per kg subsidy, ensuring growers pocket Rs 12 per kg. The state plans to procure 5.5 lakh tonnes this season at a cost of Rs 220 crore, a move Reddy touts as a lifeline for Chittoor’s agricultural backbone. “Chittoor’s farmers are the best, folks, nobody grows Totapuri like we do,” Reddy declared at a recent farmers’ meet, channeling a certain brash confidence. “We’re making Chittoor great again by keeping cheap mangoes out and prices stable. It’s a tremendous plan, believe me.”
The Mango import ban, however, has sparked a cross-border uproar. Karnataka, particularly its border districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur, relies heavily on Chittoor’s 70+ processing units to absorb its Totapuri harvest. Karnataka Chief minister siddaramaiah slammed the ban as “abrupt and unilateral,” warning it could disrupt supply chains and lead to massive post-harvest losses. “This is an attack on cooperative federalism,”
he said, hinting at retaliatory restrictions on Andhra Pradesh’s vegetable exports to Karnataka. Chief secretary shalini rahneesh echoed the sentiment, urging Andhra Pradesh to reconsider to avoid escalating tensions. In Srinivasapura, Karnataka, furious farmers took to the streets, dumping heaps of mangoes in protest and demanding the ban’s withdrawal and better price support. “Chittoor’s units are our lifeline,” said Ramesh Gowda, a Kolar farmer.
