Tadepalli, May 12: Former Ministers Kurasala Kannababu, Kakani Govardhan Reddy and Seediri Appalaraju strongly condemned the steep hike in aqua feed prices, stating that the TDP-led coalition government and aqua feed companies are operating in collusion to exploit aqua farmers across Andhra Pradesh. They stated that after the coalition government came to power, aqua feed prices were increased arbitrarily and repeatedly, pushing already distressed farmers into deeper financial crisis.
The former ministers said that despite reductions in import duties and a fall in raw material prices, feed companies did not reduce prices accordingly, exposing what they described as a “massive scam” behind aqua feed pricing. They accused the government of deliberately protecting the aqua feed mafia and claimed that large-scale kickbacks are being collected every month from feed companies by people in power. According to them, monthly commissions are reaching the TDP central office, which is why the government has failed to intervene even after unilateral price hikes by feed manufacturers.
They questioned how feed companies could increase prices without the knowledge or approval of the government and termed Agriculture Minister Atchannaidu’s remarks on the issue as “laughable” and an attempt to escape growing anger among aqua farmers. They demanded that the minister disclose his alleged share in the aqua syndicate kickbacks and explain why the government remained silent while farmers were being financially ruined.
The leaders said aqua farmers are already suffering due to lack of uninterrupted power supply and failure of the government to provide diesel support, and that the latest feed price hike has become another severe blow to the sector. They accused the coalition government of sacrificing the livelihoods of aqua farmers for the benefit of private companies and political commissions.
Demanding immediate rollback of aqua feed price hikes, the former ministers warned that if the government fails to act, YSRCP will launch a large-scale agitation on behalf of aqua farmers across the state.
Meanwhile, former APSADA Vice Chairman Vaddi Raghuram came down heavily on the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government, stating that the aqua sector in Andhra Pradesh is being systematically pushed towards collapse through anti-farmer policies and arbitrary hikes in aqua feed prices.
In a video statement from Tadepalligudem, he alleged that the government had colluded with feed companies to burden aqua farmers while completely ignoring their growing financial distress. He said that when import duties on feed ingredients were reduced, feed prices should have come down by nearly Rs.25,000 per tonne, but companies reduced prices by only Rs.4,000 per tonne. Instead, the government has now allowed feed prices to be increased by nearly Rs.15 per kg, severely impacting farmers already struggling with rising cultivation costs. He further criticised the coalition government for failing to implement its election promise of Rs.1.50 power subsidy per unit to aqua farmers even after two years in power, while claiming that the previous Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government had provided Rs.3,640 crore in electricity subsidy to nearly 50,800 aqua connections over five years.
Raghuram also accused the government of creating an artificial diesel shortage that further increased the burden on aqua farmers and said the administration retreated only after YSRCP prepared for protests. He criticised the government for failing to provide remunerative prices for shrimp farmers and alleged that decisions were being taken only to benefit feed companies and ruling party commissions. Recalling that during the YSRCP government feed price revisions were made only after consultations with farmers, he said the present coalition government had completely dismantled that practice and turned the aqua sector into a source of exploitation. Warning of intensified agitation, he announced that YSRCP would organise Collectorate sieges across coastal districts if the government failed to immediately roll back the feed price hike and provide relief to aqua farmers.
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