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VROs, constables to be posted at mango procurement points

• Posted on June 25, 2025

The government on Tuesday decided to post Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and police constables at the mango procurement points (ramps) to ensure order and to avoid friction between farmers and traders.

Director of Horticulture and Sericulture K. Srinivasa Rao visited a number of ramps at the Damalacheruvu market in Pakala mandal of Tirupati district, which handles lakhs of tonnes of mangoes of all varieties every year.

Trucks and tractors loaded with the produce have been waiting in front of the fruit processing units in Yerravaripalem, B.N. Kandriga, Puttur, Narayanavanam, Renigunta, Satyavedu, Pakala and KVB Puram. In view of the huge stock of mangoes piled up, the units have pegged the waiting time for procurement at beyond 24 hours.

When the stock gets sluggish at the factories, the ramps that supply mangoes automatically slow down the process of procurement from the farmers, which is likely to trigger friction.

Mr. Rao suggested the issue of tokens at the ramps mentioning the date of procurement, so that the farmer could stagger the harvest process. This step not only reduces the waiting time for the farmers, but also helps delay the harvest process and ensures price stabilisation.

Though the government had directed the factories and ramp owners to pay ₹8 a kg to the Totapuri growers, it is followed more in breach, where the price is staggering at an all-time low of ₹2 to ₹3 a kg.

Directing the ramp owners not to take the farmers for a ride, Mr. Srinivasa Rao asked them to pay the assured price to tide over the ‘crisis of plenty’.

Revenue Divisional Officer A. Rammohan, District Horticulture Officer B. Dasaratharami Reddy, Agricultural Officer Prasad, Pakala Tahsildar Santosh Sai and Horticulture Officer (Pakala & Chandragiri) Sailaja Devi were also present.

Meanwhile, the factories in the district have so far procured 24,280 metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes for the current season, including 1,300 metric tonnes procured on Tuesday (June 24), according to the information available with the Horticulture department.

The government on Tuesday decided to post Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and police constables at the mango procurement points (ramps) to ensure order and to avoid friction between farmers and traders. | Source: The Hindu

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