**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to Unstarred Question No. 513 in Lok Sabha, scheduled for February 3, 2026. The question concerns the distress sale of mangoes by tribal farmers in the Kashipur block of Rayagada district, Odisha, due to lack of infrastructure. The response outlines the government's awareness of challenges and measures taken, including financial assistance, schemes, and interventions to improve farmers' income.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Awareness of Challenges:**
* The Government is aware of logistical and seasonal challenges faced by tribal mango farmers in Kashipur block, Rayagada, as reported by the State Government of Odisha.
* Seasonal price compression occurs due to the late mango harvest in Rayagada, coinciding with market saturation and early rainfall.
* Late-season harvest and early rainfall result in quality issues, diminishing export potential and bargaining power.
* **Government Interventions:**
* Focus on strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for post-harvest handling and collective bargaining. There are 70 registered FPOs in Rayagada district with 5 in Kashipur block.
* The Government of India, through the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), provides financial assistance to States/UTs for post-harvest management infrastructure and processing facilities based on proposals received.
* The Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) under Pradhan Mantri Annadata Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) is implemented for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities to protect growers from distress sales. This is implemented at the request of the State/UT Government, which is ready to bear 50 percent of the loss (25 percent in case of North-Eastern States).
* A new component of Price Differential Payment (PDP) has been introduced under MIS from the 2024-25 season, allowing States/UTs to choose between physical procurement or direct payment of price differences to farmers.
* The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare approves procurement of Mangoes at Market Intervention Price (MIP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) on request of States/UTs when the market prices fall below the MIP.
* **Infrastructure Development:**
* In the last five years, 2 cold storages with a total capacity of 5,600 MT, 7 solar-based cold rooms, and one Hot Water Treatment facility along with two Regulated Market Committees have been established in Rayagada and Gunupur Blocks, as per the information received from the State Government of Odisha.
**Impact Analysis**
**Tribal Mango Farmers in Kashipur Block, Rayagada**
* **Impact:** Improved income opportunities, reduced distress sales, and increased bargaining power.
* **Action Required:** Engage with existing FPOs, participate in government schemes, and leverage available infrastructure.
**State Government of Odisha**
* **Impact:** Responsibility to propose projects and schemes for financial assistance and infrastructure development. Bear a portion of loss, under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and Price Differential Payment (PDP).
* **Action Required:** Submit proposals under MIDH, request implementation of MIS and PDP, and ensure effective implementation of government schemes.
**Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare**
* **Impact:** Responsible for approving procurement of Mangoes at Market Intervention Price (MIP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) on request of States/UTs when the market prices fall below the MIP.
* **Action Required:** Review request by States/UTs and approve procurement of Mangoes at Market Intervention Price (MIP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) on request of States/UTs when the market prices fall below the MIP.
Key Entities Referenced
Market Intervention Scheme (MIS): A scheme to provide remunerative prices to farmers for agricultural and horticultural commodities not covered under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), implemented as part of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) to prevent distress sales.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for addressing the distress sale of mangoes by tribal farmers and implementing relevant schemes.
Rayagada, Odisha: The district in Odisha where tribal mango farmers are facing distress sales, making its geographic location central to the policy's application.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): A program providing financial assistance to states and union territories for post-harvest management infrastructure and processing facilities.
Price Differential Payment (PDP): A component under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) from 2024-25 season for direct payment of the price difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the selling price to the farmers of perishable crops.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 513
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 03RD FEBRUARY, 2026
DISTRESS SALE OF MANGOES BY TRIBAL FARMERS
513. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण म(cid:287)ं ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that thousands of tribal mango farmers of Kashipur
block in Rayagada district, Odisha are facing severe distress due to the absence of cold
storage, lack of mandi procurement, unaffordable fertilisers and total absence of processing
units, forcing them into distress sale every harvest season;
(b) whether it is a fact that, in the absence of institutional procurement, private traders
and middlemen are buying mangoes at exploitative prices, depriving tribal farmers of fair
income despite rising market prices elsewhere, if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of cold storages, regulated mandis, FPOs, price support schemes and
mango processing units sanctioned or operational in Rayagada district and Kashipur block
during the last five years; and
(d) the time-bound action plan of the Government to establish cold storage, ensure
mandi-based procurement, promote processing and guarantee remunerative prices so that
tribal mango farmers are protected from distress sale and exploitation?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य म(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) & (b): No such reports have been received by the Government of India from the
State Government of Odisha in this regard. However, the State Government of Odisha has
reported that the Government is aware of the specific logistical and seasonal challenges
faced by tribal mango farmers in the Kashipur block of Rayagada.
Seasonal Price Compression: Unlike early-harvest districts such as Dhenkanal
and Angul, which capture premium market prices, Rayagada's mango harvest occurs
later in the season. This often coincides with market saturation and the onset of early
rainfall. Quality Impacts: Late-season harvest along with early rainfall frequently results in
"black spots"/blemishes on the fruit, which diminishes the aesthetic quality required
for high-end export markets and lowers the bargaining power of farmers against
private traders.
Intervention: To mitigate these risks, the Government is focusing on strengthening
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to improve post-harvest handling and
collective bargaining. Currently, there are 70 registered FPOs in Rayagada district
with 5 FPOs in Kashipur block.
(c): As per the information received from the State Government of Odisha, during the last
five years, 2 cold storages with a total capacity of 5,600 MT, 7 solar-based cold rooms, and
one Hot Water Treatment facility along-with two Regulated Market Committees have been
established in Rayagada and Gunupur Blocks.
(d): To avoid distress sale of horticultural crops, the Government of India, through the
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), provides financial assistance to
all States/UTs for development of post-harvest management infrastructure, processing and
value addition facilities, including in tribal and backward areas, based on proposals
received from the States/UTs as per their approved Annual Action Plan (AAP). The scheme
is demand/entrepreneur driven.
In addition to provide remunerative price to the farmers, Government implements
Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), a component under Pradhan Mantri Annadata
Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), for procurement of agricultural and horticultural
commodities, which are perishable in nature and are not covered under the Price Support
Scheme (PSS). The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of these commodities
from making distress sale in the event of a bumper crop during the peak arrival period when
the prices tend to fall below economic levels. The scheme is implemented at the request of
a State/UT Government, which is ready to bear 50 percent of the loss (25 percent in case of
North-Eastern States), if any, incurred on its implementation.
Further, Government has introduced a new component of Price Differential Payment
(PDP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) from 2024-25 season for direct payment of
the price difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the selling price to the
farmers of perishable crops. States/UTs have an option to choose either to do physical
procurement of the crop or to make the differential payment between the MIP & Sale Price
to the farmers.
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare approves procurement of Mangoes
at Market Intervention Price (MIP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) on request of
States/UTs when the market prices fall below the MIP.
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