*Coalition Govt driving aqua sector into crisis: YSRCP*

Palakollu, Sept 3: YSRCP West Godavari district leaders said the coalition government has pushed Andhra Pradesh’s aqua sector into an unprecedented crisis through steep feed-price hikes, restrictive power-factor conditions and failure to control poor-quality seed.
Addressing the media in Palakollu, YSRCP district president Mudunuri Prasada Raju, Tadepalligudem constituency coordinator Vaddi Raghuram and Palakollu constituency in-charge Gudala Srihari Gopalarao said aqua farmers were facing the worst situation in three decades. Prasada Raju said feed prices had increased by nearly ₹15 per kg within six months, while the government had abandoned the regulatory framework created under the APSADA Act. He recalled that the YSRCP government regulated feed and seed quality, provided subsidised power at ₹1.50 per unit and strengthened the sector through Fish Andhra, fisheries services at Rythu Bharosa Kendras and the Aqua University.
The leaders said the coalition government was now effectively denying the promised ₹1.50 power subsidy by imposing a power-factor requirement of 0.90–0.95, which many aqua farmers cannot maintain. Raghuram said even after issuing two GOs, the subsidy had not been extended to new connections and demanded immediate withdrawal of the power-factor condition.
They also said G.O. 180 had weakened APSADA oversight and given feed companies freedom to raise prices, while lack of government supervision over seed quality was causing heavy losses to farmers and hatcheries. They demanded measures to ensure cheaper raw material for feed manufacturers and immediate reduction in feed prices.
Srihari Gopalarao appealed to all aqua farmers’ associations to join the struggle. The leaders warned that if the government failed to protect aqua farmers, YSRCP would unite farmer organisations and launch a State-wide agitation until feed prices were reduced, power subsidy restored without conditions and effective regulation of seed and feed quality was reinstated.