Amaravati, Aug 5 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Wednesday slammed the NDA coalition government led by the TDP, for its “apathy” towards tobacco farmers and demanded that tobacco be procured through Markfed.

Speaking to the media after interacting with the farmers at Devarapalli in East Godavari district, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that tobacco farmers are in deep distress as the cultivation cost has gone up manifold on one hand and the procurement prices have been falling, with companies forming a syndicate and manipulating market dynamics.

The YSRCP chief said, “The average price has been drastically falling and the farmers who were assured by the Tobacco Board of procurement have reneged on their promise and the traders formed a cartel to keep the prices low, forcing the farmers to opt for distress sales.

“The Chandrababu government is hand in glove with the syndicate and only 20 per cent of the crop is procured, though the Board has encouraged the farmers to go for tobacco farming assuring procurement, but has gone back (on its word).”

Reddy stated that during the YSRCP’s term in 2023-24 the average price of tobacco was Rs 289 per kg and in 27 months after the coalition government led by the TDP assumed office, it has fallen to Rs 220. Farmers said that they were selling tobacco at even Rs 170 per kg.

“We had a robust mechanism to safeguard the interest of farmers and made Markfed a buyer to increase competition and keep the prices higher. This apart we have given Rs 1 lakh zero per cent interest loans to farmers,” Reddy said.

The former Chief Minister alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has done away with the zero per cent interest and the farmers’ plight is further aggravated with the cultivation cost going up and the produce not getting MSP. Now farmers are losing at least Rs 70 per kg.

“A tobacco farmer Venkateswar Rao has committed suicide unable to bear the loss and there is no response from the government, no public representative had come to console his family,” Reddy said.

He said in a month’s time buyers will shift to Karnataka for auctions and the prices will further fall pushing the farmers into further turmoil. The Rs 20 subsidy announced by the government will only help the traders to further reduce the prices.

YS Jagan demanded the government bring in Markfed to procure the produce and create competition, failing which farmers will further suffer.

“In the 27 months after the coalition government was formed, farmers are not getting MSP to any of the crops be it paddy, banana, tobacco, pulses and others and all sections of people are venting their anguish. Education, health, agriculture and all sectors have been affected under Chandrababu’s governance. Anyone questioning the government is being targeted with false cases and arrests,” he said.

All sections of people are unhappy with the ‘backstabbing’ party which is depriving them of all welfare schemes, he remarked

During the interaction with farmers, Reddy was told that they were getting only Rs 170 and Rs 10 was increased following the news that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was coming. They said during the YSRCP’s term low grade tobacco was also procured but now that practice is not there and small and marginal farmers are affected badly.

–IANS

ms/rad