Mysuru, June 17 -- Mango, often hailed as the 'King of Fruits' for its sweetness, has turned bitter for growers and wholesale dealers this season.

A sudden slump in prices has left contractors - who purchased mangoes in bulk before the harvest - in distress.

Initially, mango prices were favourable, bringing smiles to sellers. However, the abrupt market crash has shocked growers, many of whom are leaving fruits on trees, hoping for a price revival. They fear that harvesting and selling now may not even cover transportation costs. Incessant monsoon rains have worsened the situation, as mangoes left on trees risk rotting and harvested fruits have a short shelf life.

Wholesale dealers, known as contractors, typically buy entire mango orcha...