With the mango pulp production season set to commence in a week’s time, with a lurking virus, the pulp industry here is seeking support from the government for seamless operations. The pulp industry’s production season, slated to commence in mid-May and continue till mid-July, is faced with questions of operations amid fears of infections in the partly labour intensive industry. Mathiazhagan, president, Mango Pulp Industries Association of Krishnagiri, told The Hindu the factories are keen to start operations in a limited scale with precautions, but also fear a crackdown in the event of an infection inside the pulp production facilities.
The pulp industry is by far largely mechanised with little manual handling except in the preliminary stages of loading and unloading and feeding of fruits in the cold storage for ripening. However, the industry owners fear an administrative backlash if any worker got infected. “There are 45 factories in Krishnagiri. While our pulp factories will make all necessary safeguards to enable the production cycle, there is also the fear of any infection in a factory leading to a crackdown on the industry as a whole. In that event, the perishables stored in the cold storage will bring in huge loss,” says Mr.Mathiazhagan.
The pulp production cycle will start in the second week of May for consumption next year.
The factories are starting to get mangoes from farmers albeit only half of the volume compared to the previous years. The domestic and export market consumption is in summer. “What we produce now will be lifted next year during summer. Last year’s pulp produce for the domestic market remains locked down in the factories.” The factories were already stuck with 40% of the pulp stocks from last year meant for domestic consumption this summer, says Mathiazhagan, who has slashed his procurement from 1250 tonnes a day to 600 tonnes a day.
“There is uncertainty. The pulp is released for domestic consumption in March at the start of the summer. With COVID-19, last year’s pulp for domestic market has got locked down.” But, the export orders were lifted in time in January. The real test is the opening up of the factories and allowing labour to come in and participate all through the season without any infection. Over 8000 tonnes of raw fruits are stocked and allowed to ripen slowly during a seven-day period in a big unit. The production requires labour at the loading, ripening stages of the fruits and up to the time the fruits reach the conveyor belt. From there on, the industry is completely mechanised. “It is possible to function with 50% reduction in staff, but we also need the assurances from the authorities. In case if they seal down a unit in the event of an infection, it will affect the whole industry,” he says.
Linked to the fortunes of the industry is the mango grower. The industry has not received the kind of support that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments have given its farmers, says Mr. Mathiazhhagan. Last year, the two neighbouring governments gave a subsidy of ₹ 2.50 a kg for farmers, when the prices fell to ₹ 5 a kg. Pulp factories including Mathialagan’s own units in the two States were reimbursed the subsidy by the governments, he says. “This will encourage farmers, prevent panic among them,” he adds.