Sweet Benishan mangoes bring bitter taste for growers

Nagarkurnool: The Benishan variety of mangoes from Kollapur is one of the leading exporting mangoes from Telangana State to not just across various States in India but it is also in huge demand in the international markets and widely exported to advanced countries like USA, Europe and others.

However, the plight of mango growers in Kollapur is totally in contrast as the mango farmers are facing huge losses due middlemen, brokers and others, who procure mangoes at very low cost. "Even though every day 400 to 500 lorries transport mangoes from Kollapur every day to Gaddiannaram market in Hyderabad, the brokers and middlemen, who procure mangoes pay us very less after removing all kinds of costs and depreciation. We have been facing losses for the past four-five years now as the expenditure for growing the mango orchards is growing higher and higher every year," said a mango farmer Gopal Nayak from Veepanagandla village of Kollapur mandal.

It is said that from the entire erstwhile Mahbubnagar and to that fact from the entire State of Telangana, the Kollapur Benishan variety of mango is very famous as it is very much in demand for its sweet taste. "The Benishan variety has more pulp and very small nut inside it. It also tastes very delicious. Because of its unique taste it is being exported to Kolkata, Delhi and Gujarat. Not just in India, this fruit is also is in great demand in the international markets. Except the farmers, the middlemen and the businessmen are reaping good profits from this while farmers are at a great loss," said a lorry driver, who transports mangoes from Kollapur to Hyderabad every day.

The farmers are also alleging that the horticulture department has never approached them to provide any awareness on the steps to be taken to produce the mangoes in a better way. They have not even provided any government schemes to the farmers to benefit them even though the horticulture department was claiming of providing training and subsidies to the mango growers. "We are only demanding the government to rescue us from the losses and provide us MSP for our mango produce," said another farmer from Kollapur.

The Kollapur mango which became famous from 1950s has even today taken forward its legacy and from mere 100 acres of mango gardens in 1940-50, today thousands of acres of land is under mango plantation in Kollapur and it is exporting thousands of lorries of high quality mangoes to the national and international markets, while the famers are still facing losses and are in poor condition with no government support.