Chittoor earning Rs 50 crore from mango export

Tirupati, May 27 (UNI) Chittoor District has a special place in the country as it is earning Rs 50 crore worth foreign exchange through export of mangoes every year, according to Collector S S Rawat.

Mr Rawar, inaugurating a regional mango exhibition here, said an action plan was afoot to raise mango crop on an additional 25,000 acre next year, supporting 55 fruit juice units in the district.

The Centre had given permission to set up a nursery-cum-training centre for producing quality fruits fit for export, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Farmers Federation secretary K Balakrishna Reddy said the food processing industry in the district was in crisis and sought the help of the district administration.

NABARD Assistant General Manager Jayarama Sarma said banks were liberal in sanctioning loans to farmers for raising mango orchards.

As many as 50 varieties of mangoes of different sizes and varieties were displayed in the two-day mela, in which farmers of Chittoor, Kadapa, Nellore, Kurnool, Anantapur and took part.

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