Mango Theft in 15 Villages of Navsari: Farmers Lose Sleep as 2,000 Maunds Stolen Daily

Navsari: Incidents of large-scale mango theft have come to light from villages in the eastern region of Navsari. In villages like Nagdhara, Satem, Kumbharfaliya, Sarpore, Gopiwadi, Mahudi, Puni, Dablai, Butlaw, Bhulafaliya, Nava Talav, Pardi, and others 15 in total around 2,000 maunds of mangoes are being stolen every day, leaving local farmers distressed and in tears.

Farmers Submit Memorandum to Collector Demanding Police Patrolling

According to sources, the stolen mangoes are being sent to cities like Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vadodara for sale. The losses for Navsari’s farmers are estimated in lakhs of rupees. Adding to their woes, this year’s mango yield is already lower than usual. On average, 100 to 150 maunds are stolen from each village daily. The thieves are selling these stolen mangoes in the market at just ₹500 per maund, while the current market price is between ₹2,000 and ₹2,500 per maund.

Farmers Unable to Sleep at Night Due to Ongoing Thefts

Farmers from all affected villages jointly submitted a memorandum to the district collector, requesting increased security and police patrols in the area. The ongoing thefts have robbed farmers of their peace, as they face massive daily losses. Already burdened by reduced yields due to global warming, this additional blow has made it difficult for them to recover production costs. There are also allegations that some farm laborers and their children are involved in the thefts, sneaking into orchards at night and selling the mangoes cheaply in the market.