YSRCP Rallies Behind Mango Farmers, Demands Price Support
With mango growers across Andhra Pradesh grappling with a sharp fall in prices, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Tuesday launched a major protest in GD Nellore , demanding immediate government intervention and a remunerative price for farmers.
The agitation drew a large number of farmers from Chittoor , Tirupati , GD Nellore , and Puthalapattu , reflecting the growing frustration among cultivators who say they are struggling to recover even their basic cultivation costs. Senior YSRCP leaders, including Bhumana Karunakar Reddy , former minister K. Narayanaswamy , Kripalakshmi , Vijayananda Reddy , former MP N. Reddappa , and Chevireddy Mohith Reddy , joined the demonstration in support of the farming community.
The protest briefly turned tense when police intervened and stopped the dharna, leading to the removal of several YSRCP leaders from the venue. Party leaders accused the police of suppressing a peaceful demonstration and questioned the government's response to the farmers' concerns.
Addressing the gathering, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that the coalition government had failed to protect mango growers from the ongoing market crisis. He demanded that the state immediately ensure a minimum support price of ₹17 per kilogram for mangoes, arguing that farmers were being forced to sell their produce at unviable rates.
The issue has become particularly significant in the Chittoor-Tirupati mango belt , one of the country's largest hubs for Totapuri mango cultivation . Thousands of farming families in the region depend on the annual mango harvest, and growers have repeatedly raised concerns over declining prices, rising input costs, and limited procurement support.
Karunakar Reddy also pointed to neighboring Karnataka , where a market intervention mechanism was introduced to support Totapuri growers, and urged the Andhra Pradesh government to pursue similar measures. He claimed that during the tenure of the YSRCP government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy , mango prices remained relatively stable and farmers received better support.
The YSRCP leader criticized the government for failing to address the crisis despite the region's economic dependence on horticulture. He further remarked that the concerns of mango growers were being overlooked even in the home district of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu .
As the mango season enters a crucial phase, farmers are demanding swift action to prevent further losses. YSRCP leaders vowed to continue their agitation until meaningful relief measures are announced, emphasizing that the livelihoods of thousands of growers are at stake.
Several party functionaries, including state women's wing leader Drakshayani , also participated in the protest, reaffirming support for the farmers' demand for fair and sustainable prices.