Amaravati, June 11 (IANS) YSR Congress Party president and former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday demanded that the Andhra Pradesh coalition government led by Chandrababu Naidu ensure average price to cotton farmers, failing which, they would launch an agitation.

Reiterating that Andhra Pradesh farmers were in distress and two tobacco growers committed suicide as they could not get any help from the coalition government, he urged the TDP-led government to rope in Markfed as a buyer in the auction and ensure average prices to farmers.

Speaking to the media after interacting with tobacco farmers at the Tobacco Board at Podili in Prakasam district on Wednesday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that tobacco prices have drastically fallen and with no help coming from the Andhra government, two farmers one in Paruchuru and the other from Kondepi had committed suicide.

He alleged that the Andhra government, which had given permission to increase the extent of cultivation by around 20 per cent, has miserably failed to provide the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“In just one year, the difference is tangible as to how the farmers have been pushed back into uncertainty from being confident earlier as they were getting all subsidies, inputs and marketing facilities from the state government on time,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.

The former chief minister pointed out that last year, when the YSRCP was in power, tobacco was sold at Rs 360 per kg and now the prices have fallen drastically to Rs 240 per kg for graded variety.

With the Naidu government giving its nod, the area under cultivation was increased and while the government was supposed to procure 220 million kgs it has procured just 40 million kgs.

“The input costs have gone up, the extent of crop has increased but the prices have fallen which has pushed the farmers into distress.

“We demand that the government bring in Markfed in the capacity of a buyer at the auction and ensure at least average price at Rs 280, failing which, we will take up an agitation with the farmers,” Jagan Mohan Reddy warned.

The YSRCP chief further alleged that farmers were not getting MSP for any crop and paddy has been procured at Rs 300 lower than the MSP and the TDP government has been neglecting farmers.

Jagan said ‘Rythu Bharosa’ was in place during the sowing season when the YSRCP was in power. This time the Central component has come but the State’s share is found wanting, he said.

With Rythu Bharosa Kendralus being shut down, the farmers are unable to get quality seeds, e-cropping, marketing and other services and the middlemen have taken over in the government led by Naidu.

The YSRCP leader said Naidu had promised to pay MSP to chilli growers but had never kept his promise and all farmers from millet growers, to cotton and turmeric cultivators, were suffering as no one is getting MSP and all this has happened in just one year.

–IANS

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