Agriculture in Deep Crisis

Tadepalli, 28 November: YSRCP General Secretary (Agriculture & Farmers Welfare) MVS Nagi Reddy warned that Andhra Pradesh’s agriculture sector has plunged into a severe crisis, with farmers suffering massive losses due to cyclones, collapsing market prices, and the government’s complete failure to provide Minimum Support Prices (MSP). Addressing the media at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli, he said the coalition government is more interested in personal attacks on the Opposition Leader than addressing the real issues that are destroying the livelihoods of farmers. He pointed out that the state’s cultivation area has fallen below the national average, yet the government refuses to wake up to the grave situation. Farmers cultivating rice, cotton, and maize have collectively lost ₹13,324 crore this year—of which cotton farmers alone lost Rs. 9,209 crore due to crop damage and price crash. The Monta cyclone severely hit 28 lakh acres from Bapatla to Srikakulam, with paddy cultivation dropping in 11 lakh acres, reducing expected production from 83 lakh tonnes to nearly 73–74 lakh tonnes. Despite this, procurement mismanagement continues: millers are dictating terms, bags are unavailable, transport is lacking, and farmers are being forced to sell below MSP—receiving only Rs. 1,450 instead of the due Rs. 1,777 per 75-kg bag. This alone has caused a Rs. 2,579 crore loss to paddy farmers.

Nagi Reddy added that cotton farmers are being exploited by traders offering only Rs. 5,000–Rs. 6,000 per quintal against the MSP of Rs. 8,110, while yields have crashed from 12 quintals to 4 quintals per acre. With both yield loss and price loss combined, farmers are losing Rs. 81,720 per acre, resulting in an unprecedented Rs. 9,209 crore total loss. Similarly, maize farmers are suffering Rs. 1,536 crore in losses as procurement centres remain unopened and traders buy at Rs. 1,650–Rs. 1,900 instead of the MSP of Rs. 2,400. He cautioned that groundnut cultivation has fallen by one-third—from a target of 14.13 lakh acres to just 5.14 lakh acres—posing a serious threat to farmers and livestock in Rayalaseema. Even horticulture, which contributes more to the state GSDP than regular agriculture despite having a smaller cultivation area, is collapsing. Tomato, sweet lime, and banana crops are being dumped on roads due to lack of MSP, with Rayalaseema—the state’s horticulture hub—sounding alarm bells.

He condemned the government’s claim that YSRCP did not provide insurance to banana and other fruit crops, pointing out that even the state’s own website contradicts this false propaganda. During YSRCP’s five-year rule, insurance coverage existed for mango, banana, sweet lime, pomegranate, and other fruit crops. He challenged the coalition to show even a single crop for which they have provided a better MSP than the previous government—yet there has been no answer. Nagi Reddy stressed that while horticulture crops like tomato, sweet lime, and banana together produce over 150 lakh tonnes—more than the state’s entire kharif and rabi paddy output of 127–129 lakh tonnes—the government has allowed these crops to rot on the roads, pushing farmers into unbearable distress.

He appealed to the government to stop personal attacks and focus on the agricultural emergency gripping Andhra Pradesh. With cultivation area sharply falling below the national average and lakhs of farmers facing devastating losses, diversion politics cannot continue. He urged farmers to explain ground realities directly to officials visiting villages and warned that ignoring this crisis will prove disastrous for the state.