Syllabus:

GS 3: Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints

Context:

Recently, the Chittoor district collector banned Totapuri mango imports from other states, sparking a dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

More on the News

• Karnataka Chief Secretary and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have asked their Andhra Pradesh counterparts K Vijayanand and N Chandrababu Naidu, respectively to roll back the order said to be causing significant distress to mango farmers in Karnataka.

Totapuri Mangoes 

• Totapuri, also known as Bangalore or Sandersha, is a mango cultivar grown in the bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• These mangoes, named for their parrot beak-like tip, are prized for their juice and pulp.
• These mangoes are used aplenty in mango drinks manufactured and distributed across the country.
• Food and beverage companies, including global brands, buy these mangoes directly from farmers. 
• In Andhra Pradesh, Chittoor district has many mangos processing and pulp-making companies. These companies mostly buy Totapuri mangoes from local markets.
• These mangoes thrive in tropical climates with warm temperatures and dry summers. These mangoes require moderate rainfall and well-drained loamy soil.

Mango Dispute 

• The mangoes from Karnataka are cheaper than ones being grown in Andhra Pradesh. Every year, the Andhra Pradesh government sets a price for Totapuri mangoes. 
• This is the price that processing companies must pay when buying from farmers.This year, the Andhra Pradesh government set the price at ₹8/kg and offered an extra ₹4/kg to support farmers amid high supply. In contrast, it claims Karnataka offers only ₹5–6/kg.
• If mangoes from Karnataka are allowed into the Andhra Pradesh market, processors may choose them because they are cheaper. 
• As a result, Andhra farmers may struggle to sell their own mangoes and face financial hardship.

Inter-State Trade Ban

Article 301 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the freedom of trade, commerce, and intercourse throughout the territory of India, subject to certain exceptions. This means that there should be no restrictions on the movement of goods, people, or information between different states within India. 

Article 302 enables Parliament to impose restrictions, by law, on the freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse between one State and another or within any part of the territory of India as may be required in public interest.

Article 303 – Neither Parliament nor state legislatures can discriminate in favour of one state over another in trade matters—except if Parliament invokes an exception (e.g. dealing with scarcity).

 Article 304 – State-Level Restrictions

• 304(a): States can tax goods from other states the same as their own goods—no discrimination.
• 304(b): States may impose reasonable trade restrictions in the public interest with prior Presidential approval