The committee has proposed linking GST concessions to the actual mango pulp content in beverages, alongside a broader roadmap to strengthen the Totapuri mango value chain and improve farmers’ incomes
The Centre-appointed expert committee has recommmended that mango-based beverages should contain 22-25 per cent natural mango pulp to qualify for the concessional 5 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate. The proposal is aimed at increasing demand for Totapuri mango pulp, strengthening the processing ecosystem and improving returns for farmers.
The recommendations were submitted by the panel, chaired by T Damodaran, Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow, during a meeting chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The minister has directed officials to initiate consultations with the concerned ministries to examine the recommendations.
The expert committee was constituted after Totapuri mango growers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka witnessed a sharp decline in prices during the current harvesting season.
According to the panel, delayed procurement by processing units at the beginning of the harvest, limited use of mango pulp in beverages sold in the domestic market and fluctuations in global pulp prices contributed to the fall in farm-gate prices.
“Processing units in several centres are not procuring fruit in time at the start of the season, even as arrivals from farmers peak simultaneously – a bunching effect that depresses prices and hits grower incomes,” he said in an official statement.
The committee has proposed that only beverages containing at least 22-25 per cent genuine mango pulp should continue to attract the concessional 5 per cent GST rate. Products with lower fruit content would fall under a higher GST slab.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said the recommendation is expected to increase the utilisation of Totapuri mango pulp while improving the nutritional quality of mango-based beverages sold in India.
To operationalise the proposal, the Centre plans to convene an inter-ministerial meeting involving the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the GST Council and the Ministries of Finance, Food Processing Industries, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Health and Family Welfare to finalise product standards and the revised tax framework.
Price Support Measures
The committee has also recommended establishing a Central Coordination and Price Stabilisation Committee covering Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to improve price discovery and market stability.
The proposed body would assess crop estimates, processing and export demand, production costs and prevailing market conditions before the start of every mango season. Based on these assessments, it would recommend indicative farm-gate procurement prices and reference pulp prices, enabling farmers and processors to plan procurement more efficiently.
Orchard Rejuvenation Plan
The report noted that a substantial proportion of Totapuri orchards in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and Kadapa districts comprise ageing plantations with declining productivity and fruit quality. To improve yields, the committee recommended top-working, a grafting technique under which existing trees are converted into higher-value varieties such as Neelam, Alphonso, Himayat and Banganapalli.
The panel said the practice could restore productivity within two to three years. It also recommended wider adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), demonstration plots and farmer training programmes.
The committee further proposed covering fruits across an initial 23,333 hectares in the four districts to reduce insect infestation and improve fruit appearance, thereby enhancing suitability for premium domestic and export markets.
Procurement And Exports
The report also suggested introducing a zonal procurement and pre-processing system under which annual procurement plans would be prepared jointly by state horticulture departments, processing units and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
It recommended a standard operating procedure requiring all registered processing units in Andhra Pradesh to begin procurement and pulp production from 15 May each year to ensure timely procurement during the harvest season.
In addition, the panel proposed encouraging farmer-led and FPO-based value addition through products such as mango butter and other seed-kernel derivatives using technologies developed by ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR-CISH) and the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), creating an additional revenue stream for growers.
Representatives of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) informed the meeting that efforts are underway to expand domestic and overseas markets for Totapuri and other Indian mango varieties, including increased use of sea freight to lower logistics costs and improve market access.
Chouhan said the government would prepare a coordinated export and marketing strategy for processed Totapuri products and fresh table mangoes in collaboration with APEDA, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state governments.
The minister said the objective is to build a farmer-centric Totapuri value chain by aligning GST provisions, food safety standards and state-level policy measures. He added that effective implementation of the recommendations would help improve farmers’ incomes across the three producing states while strengthening the global competitiveness of Indian mangoes.
The committee’s recommendations are based on field visits conducted in Tirupati and Chittoor districts between 8 July and 10 July, during which members held consultations with farmers, farmer producer organisations, traders, processors, exporters and district administration officials involved in the Totapuri mango value chain.
