Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a formal letter to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, requesting him to lift the ban on Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka entering Chittoor district. The ban, which was enforced on June 7, has disrupted mango trade between the two states and caused unrest among farmers.

The Andhra Pradesh government has deployed enforcement teams from the Revenue, Police, Forest, and Marketing departments at border check-posts to prevent the transport of these mangoes. However, the government has not officially explained the reason behind the sudden restriction.

The move has severely affected mango growers in Karnataka, especially in districts like Kolar and Srinivasapura, which depend heavily on Chittoor’s mango pulp and processing industries. Farmers now fear large-scale losses due to blocked trade routes and unsold produce. Protests have already broken out, with farmers in Srinivasapura staging a bandh and demanding both support prices and the immediate withdrawal of the ban.

In his letter, CM Siddaramaiah said such unilateral action violates the spirit of cooperative federalism and could damage interstate trade relations. He warned that thousands of farmers are now facing financial hardship and that such restrictions may provoke retaliatory actions in other sectors.

Karnataka’s Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has also reached out to her counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, seeking a quick and peaceful resolution. Farmers, meanwhile, are threatening more protests if their produce continues to be blocked.

All eyes are now on Chandrababu Naidu and the Andhra Pradesh administration to see whether they will reverse the order or let the issue escalate into a wider trade conflict between the two southern states.