Tadepalli, Nov 29: YSRCP State Official Spokesperson and Vemuru Constituency Coordinator Varikooti Ashok Babu strongly condemned the coalition government for systematically crippling Andhra Pradesh’s agriculture sector and pushing farmers into unprecedented distress. Addressing the media at the party central office, he said that while the previous YSRCP government strengthened farmers through RBKs and ensured support at every stage, the present coalition regime has dismantled these systems, leaving farmers helpless. He charged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu continues his anti-farmer policies even in his fourth term, spreading false propaganda like “eating rice causes sugar” and creating artificial shortages of urea through his party leaders, moves aimed deliberately at destroying agriculture.
Ashok Babu said that farmers today have no buyers for their produce, with the government refusing to procure paddy at Minimum Support Price. Although the MSP for a 75 kg bag is Rs.1,777, farmers are not even receiving Rs.1,200 on average. RBKs have been rendered defunct, gunnny bags are unavailable, and farmers are being forced to beg millers by carrying paddy samples themselves. Even then, millers dictate transport, compel farmers to bear lorry charges, and exploit moisture rules by demanding extra grain for every 1% above 17% moisture. Chandrababu’s inefficiency has caused severe shortages of gunnies, lorries, and harvesting machines, while the recent Montha cyclone has pushed cutting charges to nearly Rs.10,000 per acre. Farmers are drying their produce on roads, even as another cyclone warning looms, yet the government has not conducted any review or offered relief. Though the government claims 83 lakh metric tonnes of paddy output and promises to procure 51 lakh metric tonnes, only 7 lakh metric tonnes have actually been purchased so far.
He alleged that TDP leaders have captured farmer service centres and are openly looting farmers. YSRCP sympathisers are being exploited by showing higher moisture and forcing distress sale, only for TDP leaders to later resell the same paddy at 15% moisture and pocket the margin. Meanwhile, TDP supporters get their paddy cleared even with 25% moisture. Though Chandrababu promised Rs.20,000 annual investment support, he paid only Rs.10,000 in two years and gave nothing to tenant farmers who cultivate by paying Rs.30,000 per acre.
Ashok Babu said YSRCP had provided free crop insurance for all 84 lakh farmers and ensured compensation to every eligible farmer—such as the Rs.36 crore paid to Kandhi crop farmers in one Mandal alone. By scrapping free insurance, the coalition has restricted compensation only to 19 lakh farmers who have bank loans, leaving nearly 65 lakh farmers with no support for cyclone losses. He said the government has abandoned even basic duties like repairing irrigation canals, while filing false cases against YSRCP leaders whenever questioned. He warned that the government’s intent is not to help farmers but to exploit every stage of agriculture. He demanded that Chandrababu stop conspiring against agriculture and immediately intervene to protect farmers who are being pushed into crisis by misgovernance and deliberate neglect.
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