Naidu govt betrays onion farmers 

Kurnool, September 20: YSR Congress Party Kurnool District President and former MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy strongly criticized the coalition government for failing to ensure a minimum support price for onion farmers and resorting instead to deceptive compensation schemes. Speaking at the YSRCP office in Kurnool, he said the government’s conduct amounts to cheating farmers at every step.

Mohan Reddy said the government initially promised Rs. 1,200 per quintal as a support price, but failed to procure even a single quintal. After YSRCP protests, the government shifted its stance and announced Rs. 50,000 per hectare as compensation. “This translates to just Rs. 20,000 per acre, leaving farmers with a loss of nearly Rs. 80,000 per acre. Onion farmers invest around Rs. 1.5 lakh per acre and harvest about 100 quintals. At Rs. 1,200 per quintal, each hectare should fetch Rs. 3 lakh. By substituting compensation for procurement, the government is deceiving farmers,” he stated.

He further pointed out that while Agriculture Minister Achennaidu himself admitted farmers have 2.67 lakh tonnes of onions, the government has procured only 13,000 tonnes so far. “Procurement of the remaining crop requires at least Rs. 300 crore, but instead of fulfilling this responsibility, the government has irresponsibly announced a halt to purchases in the markets. To announce compensation without even publishing modalities, while simultaneously stopping procurement, is disgraceful,” Mohan Reddy said.

He also condemned coalition leaders for boasting about giving Rs. 50,000 per hectare while conveniently ignoring that no disaster struck the onion crops. “Farmers are not seeking alms; they want fair prices for their hard work. Instead of securing markets, the government is staging daily dramas in the name of relief,” he added.

Mohan Reddy demanded the immediate establishment of a Price Stabilization Fund and urged the government to change its anti-farmer stance. Warning Chandrababu Naidu, he said that if this betrayal continues, the coalition government will meet the same fate as Nepal’s failed rulers.