*Aqua feed price hike affecting farmers badly*

Nellore, May 13: YSRCP has slammed the coalition government for colluding with aqua feed companies and pushing the farmers to further distress by drastically increasing the prices. 

Speaking to media here on Wednesday, former Minister Kakani Govarddhan Reddy said most of the aqua feed companies are associated with TDP and prices have increased manifold by which farmers are badly affected. 

The price of aqua feed has risen from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per ton are the farmers are pushed into further hardships with the anti-farmer decisions of Chandrababu Naidu. 

The contrast is that while the aqua feed price is rising on hand the prices of shrimp are falling down and farmers are bearing the brunt on both counts. The 100-count shrimp price fell from RS 270 to Rs 255 in one month adding up to the woes of farmers.

The feed companies are hiking the prices, unilaterally  as they are confident that the government will not intervene and the kickback system is in place which is the reason why they hiked the prices in February and again now up to Rs 10 per kg. 

Import duty on raw materials have been reduced the benefit is not being passed on to the farmers, he said adding that instead of reducing the prices they were hiked as they have the companies are having the support of the TDP leaders and aqua kickbacks are routed directly to TDP leaders.  The nexus is exploiting the farmers to the hilt. 

Ever since the coalition assumed office, farmers are being neglected as Chandrababu has always pursued anti-farmer policies. The hike in aqua feed price is hitting the farmers hard and the coalition is answerable to this ill-conceived decision.