Kolar, 24 June

Anguished mango farmers in Kolar dumped their harvest on the Bengaluru-Chennai National Highway on Tuesday, disrupting traffic flow with hundreds of vehicles coming to a halt.

The farmers were protesting against the State government’s failure to announce the support price for mangoes grown in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. 

At around 8.00am, farmers arrived near Kondarajenahalli, situated on the outskirts of Kolar, with tractors loaded with mangoes and dumped them on the National highway. 

Although police arrived on the scene and urged the demonstrators not to disrupt the flow of traffic, the farmers were in no mood to listen. Chanting slogans against the State Government for failing to address the issue, they alleged that although the Union Government agreed to provide its share, the State Government is buying time in announcing the support price.

They also shouted slogans against Legislators and other elected representatives of Kolar and Chikkaballapur district for failing to raise the issue with the State Government.  

Speaking on the occasion, Chinnappa Reddy, President of Kolar district Mango Growers Association criticised the State government, saying mango growers of Kolar were suffering due to the fall in prices. Many farmers allowed the crop to wither in the farms itself, as they felt the present procurement price would not even fetch the labour and transport expenses, he said. 

Reddy urged the State government to immediately announce the support price lest the farmers would to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha and dump their produce in front of building. 

After a brief pause, the police chased away the demonstrators and used earth moving equipment to clear the fruit dumped on the highway.