Mango Politics In South: Karnataka Asks Andhra To Revoke 'Totapuri' Ban

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are engaged in a political standoff over mangoes, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writing to his Andhra counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to revoke the ban on the entry of Totapuri mangoes from the Chittoor district. The move comes just two days after Karnataka's Chief Secretary formally raised the issue with the Andhra Pradesh government.

In his strongly worded letter, Mr Siddaramaiah expressed "deep concern" over the ban, calling it an "abrupt and unilateral move" that has severely impacted mango farmers in Karnataka's border regions. These farmers, he said, grow 'Totapuri' mangoes in large quantities and depend heavily on Chittoor's well-established pulp processing and marketing ecosystem to sell their produce.

"The current restriction has disrupted this well-established supply chain and threatens significant post-harvest losses, directly impacting the livelihoods of thousands of farmers," Mr Siddaramaiah wrote in the letter.

He also highlighted that the ban undermines the principles of cooperative federalism, warning that such decisions made without prior consultation could lead to avoidable tensions and potential retaliatory measures. "Stakeholders are already expressing discontent that could potentially disrupt the interstate movement of vegetables and other agricultural commodities," the Chief Minister cautioned.

The controversy erupted following an order issued on June 7 by the District Collector of Chittoor, which allegedly imposed a ban on 'Totapuri' mangoes entering the district from other states. To enforce the ban, the Andhra Pradesh government is said to have deployed multidisciplinary teams comprising officials from the Revenue, Police, Forest, and Marketing departments at inter-state check posts along the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu borders.

On June 10, Karnataka's Chief Secretary flagged the issue to the Andhra Pradesh government.

The Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is a major hub for mango pulp extraction and export, especially of the Totapuri variety. Karnataka farmers have long maintained symbiotic ties with these units. With the ban in place, hundreds of tonnes of Totapuri mangoes are now stuck at the border, risking spoilage and losses for farmers already grappling with high input costs and weather uncertainties.

As the mango season is in full swing, both states are now under pressure to resolve the issue quickly and avoid a larger inter-state trade conflict.