Trader dies of heart attack while harvesting mangoes

Srinivaspur (Kolar district), DHNS: A fruit wholesaler and owner of a stall at Srinivaspur mandi (market), Mohammad Shafiullah alias Anwar (65) died after suffering a heart attack while harvesting mangoes at a farm at Thotli village on Thursday.

Shafiullah had incurred heavy losses in the business. He had spent Rs 30 lakh to buy mangoes from farms this season. Because of the price crash he couldn’t even recover the costs of pesticide that he’d sprayed on the crop, it is said.

“The mango growers in the district are in deep crisis due to the price slump. Repeated pleas to the government to announce a minimum support price to distressed farmers have failed to yield desired results. The government must provide suitable compensation to the kin of the trader,” said Nilaturu Chinnappareddy of the district mango growers welfare association.