The Chelgal mango market, located on the outskirts of Jagtial town, would have been witnessing frenzied loading and unloading of mangoes usually at this time of the year. However, this time, it is registering the least quantity of fruit arrivals in quite a long time.
Jagtial: The Jagtial mango market, one of the biggest mango markets in the State, lies desolate, a scenario quite unusual since it should have been bustling with arrivals of the king of fruits in the season.
The Chelgal mango market, located on the outskirts of Jagtial town, would have been witnessing frenzied loading and unloading of mangoes usually at this time of the year. However, this time, it is registering the least quantity of fruit arrivals in quite a long time. Only about 12,000 quintals of mangoes have arrived at the market during the last 20 days. Opening of new markets in different places of the district as well as adjacent districts is said to be one of the reasons for the decline in the arrival of fruits to the Jagtial market.
Since mango orchards are spread over a huge extent of area in the district, the then government established a mango market at Chelgal in 2005 for the convenience of mango growers to sell their produce in the local market. After the formation of Telangana, the BRS government took initiatives to develop the market and improved facilities. Besides purchasing 10 acres of land, separate sheds were also constructed by spending Rs.5 crore.
Following the popularity of Jagtial mangoes because of their quality, delicious taste and long shelf-life, there was demand from North India including from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and others. Mangoes were also exported to Dubai and other Middle East countries. Every year, mangoes worth several crores are exported from the region to the northern parts of the country and abroad. Former Nizamabad MP and BRS MLC K Kavitha had also taken steps to promote the local Banganapalli variety mangoes with the brand name of “Jagtial Mango-Telangana”. During the Covid pandemic, a special train was also deployed to transport mangoes to Delhi.
However, arrivals of fruits to the market have now gone down as more markets have opened in various places such as Metpalli, Korutla, Raikal and Dharmaram. Earlier, traders from Nagpur, Delhi and other northern States used to visit Jagtial to procure mangoes. Now, they are going to Bellampalli, Chennur and Thandur markets. As a result, mango trading in Jagtial market has suffered a hard hit. Out of 86 licensed traders, only 18 are engaged in the trading.
Meagre prices being paid by traders is also forcing farmers to stay away from the market. Though Rs.45 to Rs.50 per kg is the average price of the best quality fruits, only Rs.35 to Rs.40 is being paid, farmers said, adding that this was tough for them since they had already suffered losses due to lack of adequate flowering and pest attacks.
Speaking to Telangana Today, Jagtial agriculture market committee secretary T Rajashekhar said that when compared to other markets, there was not much difference in the price of mangoes. Prices of fruits in Nagpur, Batasingaram, Warangal and Karimnagar were being displayed in the local market every day. When asked about the low prices being paid to farmers by traders, he denied it and claimed that while Rs.40 to Rs.45 was being paid for Banganapalli, Rs.60 to Rs.65 was being paid for the Himayat variety.
