Roll back of fertilizer prices sought

Hyderabad, Dec 14,
2012:  Pointing out that the prices of
various fertilizers have gone up multifold in the last three years, YSR
Congress party honourary president Smt. Y.S. Vijayamma has requested Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to roll back the prices and rescue the farmers.

In a letter addressed
to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Smt. Vijayamma said that the farmers have been suffering
financially due to unprecedented increase of the fertilizer prices and sought a
roll back of the prices.

While the DAP rate has
gone up by 150 per cent from Rs.250 a bag in 2010, NAP and MOP are selling at
Rs. 1200 and Rs.1000 with a 200 per cent and 300 per cent increase respectively
in the last three years as against a marginal increase of 25 per cent in the
MSP (Minimum Support Price) of paddy in the same period, she detailed in the
letter.

Smt. Vijayamma said
that apart from the abnormal increase of fertilizer prices, the costs of inputs
like seeds, soil preparation, diesel and labour and harvesting have also gone
up by leaps and bounds leaving the farming community in the lurch.

Recalling Dr. YSR was
able to sustain the growth rate of 6.87 per cent per annum between 2004 and 2009
with the support rendered by the Prime Minister, Vijayamma said, that for the
first time in the country, AP had achieved quantitative growth in the
agricultural production accompanied by per-acre increases in the incomes of the
farmer.

To put the agricultural
sector back on track and to save the farming community from the financial
problems, the prices of all fertilizers should be reduced forthwith, she told
Dr. Singh.