Koraput: The district administration has initiated steps to provide market linkage to mango growers as they bid to arrest distress sale of the fruit.
A district official said there has been a bumper yield in Koraput, Laxmipur, Kotpad, Jeypore and Borigumma blocks this year. Over 700 farmers have produced more than 1,000 metric tonnes of mangoes on 1,000 hectares. The yielded varieties include linguda, dasari, amrapalli and malika.
"Despite the bumper yield, the farmers in rural areas fail to fetch good price for their produce. Traders from outside the state take advantage of the absence of an organised market to purchase the mangoes at Rs 10 and Rs 15 a kg at from the farmers. So, we decided to provide a market linkage to the farmers so that they can sell mangoes at a good price," said Koraput collector K. Sudarshan Chakravarthy.
He said the administration had opened mango sales counters at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Nalco townships at Sunabeda and Damanjodi respectively as well as several points along the NH-26 between Koraput and Sunabeda where the farmers can sell their produce.
The district official said raw mangoes were being purchased from the farmers by the Koraput Agro Products Producers Company and then kept in ripening chambers.
"We have a target to provide marketing facility for at least 550 metric tonnes of mangoes," the collector said.
While the mangoes are being kept in plastic containers to ensure that those don't get damaged while being transported, the surface is being cleaned to make those attractive. The district administration is also certifying its quality.
Farmers have welcomed the administration's step to provide market facility for their produce.
"At the villages, I used to sell mangoes between Rs 8 and Rs 10 per kg with much difficulty. However, here I am selling those at Rs 30 per kg," said Madana Muduli of Tunpar village who has sold around two metric tonnes of mangoes at Sunabeda market in the past week.
According to Roshan Kartik, project director, Odisha Livelihood Mission in Koraput, orders are also being received from outside the state.
"The CISF unit in Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh has placed orders for mangoes and the consignment will be despatched shortly. Also, we plan to export mangoes to New Delhi," Roshan said.
