Srinivasapur/ Bengaluru, 19 June

A mango trader who had invested at least Rs 30 lakh to buy crops died of a heart attack at a farm in Srinivasapur. Mango prices have been crashing since the Andhra Pradesh government banned mangoes, and amid the Middle East crisis, a region that is a major exporter of mangoes.

The deceased mango trader is Mohammed Shafiulla, 55, a resident of Srinivasapur and owner of Taj Mango mandi. He had purchased crops from farmers in Rojenahalli, Thotli and other villages and had also invested in pesticides.

His nephew Anees Ahmed said Shafiulla had just finished moving almost two tractor loads of mangoes at a farm in Thotli when he died of a heart attack.

Ahmed, who is also the Secretary of Mango Traders Association of Srinivasapur, said his uncle was afraid of not being able to pay for pesticides and labour.

Anees urged the State government to announce support price. “Had the government taken a decision earlier, the tragedy would not have happened,” he added. President of Kolar district Mango Growers Welfare Association, Chinnappa Reddy, added that many traders lend money to farmers hoping for profit.

Cabinet to press Centre to help mango farmers

The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday said it will exert pressure on the Central government to provide relief for mango growers. The Cabinet discussed the plight of mango growers, especially in Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural and Mumbai-Karnataka region.