Scale of Mango Cultivation in Kolar

Kolar Mango Crisis: Farmers Cut Trees Amid Falling Prices and Crop Losses

Farmers in Karnataka’s Kolar district have begun felling both old and newly‑planted mango trees after three consecutive years of losses. The district, which accounts for roughly 60 % of the state’s mango output on 42,000–45,000 hectares, saw growers like T.V. Ramesh and Murali Thotli abandon the orchards in favour of ragi and vegetables, citing prices as low as ₹3 per kg for Totapuri mangoes. The wave of tree‑cutting threatens a sharp decline in Karnataka’s mango supply for the next season.

Kolar’s mango belt stretches across the semi‑arid Deccan plateau, where annual rainfall averages 700 mm and soils are predominantly red‑laterite. The region’s elevation of 800–900 m ASL limits irrigation, making mangoes a relatively drought‑tolerant cash crop.

• ▸About 60 % of Karnataka’s mango output is produced in Kolar.
• ▸The cultivated area for mangoes in the district ranges between 42,000 and 45,000 hectares.
• ▸Average yields have fallen from 12 tonnes per hectare in 2019 to under 7 tonnes per hectare in 2022.

These figures illustrate why the loss of trees translates into a tangible reduction in state‑wide production.

Why Mango Trees Are Becoming a Liability

Mango orchards, while profitable under favourable market conditions, cast dense shade that suppresses understory crops. Farmers report that inter‑cropping with cereals or pulses is impossible because sunlight does not penetrate the canopy. Moreover, disease outbreaks such as anthracnose have spread from mango to adjacent vegetables, raising phytosanitary concerns.

• ▸Totapuri mangoes fetched only ₹3 per kg in recent market surveys.
• ▸Benisha mangoes, traditionally larger (300–500 g), have shrunk to 100–200 g, reflecting stress‑induced size reduction.
• ▸Abrupt monsoon showers in 2022 and 2023 damaged flowering buds, further depressing yields.

The combination of low prices, reduced fruit size, and agronomic constraints has pushed growers toward alternative staples like ragi, which tolerates the district’s marginal soils.

Policy Framework Governing Horticulture and Farmer Support

The central and state governments have layered several schemes to cushion farmer distress, yet implementation gaps persist. The National Agricultural Policy (2020) emphasises diversification and risk mitigation, while the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM‑Kisan) provides direct cash transfers of ₹6,000 per acre to eligible cultivators. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PM‑Fasal) offers insurance against yield loss, but claim settlements for mangoes have been slow. Additionally, the PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana) seeks to improve irrigation, a critical need for rain‑fed orchards.

• ▸PM‑Kisan disburses ₹6,000 per acre annually to over 12 million farmers.
• ▸PM‑Fasal covers 85 % of insured acreage for horticultural crops, yet mango claim processing time averages 45 days.
• ▸Under PMKSY, 1.2 million ha of irrigation projects have been completed nationwide, but only 15 % of Kolar’s mango farms are linked to micro‑irrigation schemes.
• ▸The state’s horticulture department has pledged free saplings and technical advice, yet the uptake remains below 30 % of eligible growers.

These programmes illustrate the policy intent to sustain mango production, but the on‑ground reality of tree‑felling signals a mismatch between scheme design and farmer needs.

Economic and Social Implications of Tree Felling

The abrupt removal of mango trees will curtail Karnataka’s contribution to the national mango market, which accounts for roughly 30 % of India’s total output. A decline in supply could push prices upward, benefitting remaining producers but harming consumers and downstream processors. Socially, the loss of a perennial cash crop threatens rural livelihoods, especially for marginal farmers who rely on mango income for education and health expenses.

• ▸Karnataka contributed about 1.2 million tonnes of mangoes to the national basket in 2021.
• ▸A 20 % drop in Kolar’s output could reduce the state’s mango export earnings by an estimated ₹150 crore.
• ▸Farmer suicides in the district have risen by 12 % over the past two years, correlating with mango‑related income loss.
• ▸Diversification into ragi and vegetables may improve food security but offers lower per‑hectare returns than mangoes historically did.

Addressing the crisis will require not only financial relief but also agronomic interventions that enable mixed cropping under mango canopies, such as pruning techniques and shade‑tolerant varieties.

Way Forward

A coordinated response should blend short‑term relief with long‑term structural reforms. Accelerating PM‑Fasal claim settlements for mango growers, expanding micro‑irrigation under PMKSY, and promoting agro‑forestry models that allow inter‑cropping can restore farmer confidence. Moreover, revisiting the pricing mechanism for mangoes—perhaps through a minimum support price under the Mango Production in India framework—could stabilize incomes and deter further tree‑felling.