Tadepalli, Aug 4: Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President will visit Devarapalli auction platform on Aug 6 and interact with tobacco farmers who are facing severe distress due to the falling of prices.
Speaking to media here on Tuesday, Party General Secretary MVS Nagi Reddy said, the tobacco farmers who had earlier called on YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged him to visit the auction platform to know firsthand their plight.
Tobacco prices are falling down despite Chandrababu telling and tweeting about low bid- no bid and said that tobacco should be not be bought for less than Rs 200. The average price of tobacco is no at Rs 186.90 per kg.
Tobacco Board which was supposed to upload the data of auction on the quantity, price, rejections has now stopped for the past ten days which is further troubling the farmers due to lack of information and farmers are on dharna yet there is no response from the government.
YSRCP as a responsible opposition party will highlight the farmers issues based on authentic data and the union minister Pemmasani has made tall claims on giving subsidy to farmers has no comprehension. The Centre has announced since long about 4 percent interest on agriculture loan and YS Rajasekharr Reddy and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has introduced zero percent interest to farmers.
Tobacco farmers are losing Rs 50 per kg while the Union Minister’s announcement will not provide any relief to the farmers. The government has tweeted that high quality tobacco will be purchased at Rs 250 per kg, medium at Rs 190 and low quality at Rs 110 per kg.
What the situation demands is Markfed should be pressed into action and this would create competition and the farmers will get a fair price.
Whenever YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visits to interact with farmers, be it tobacco, mirchi or mango, his tour will alert the government to swing into action and his tour of West Godavari will also yield result as the voice of tobacco farmers will heard nationwide.
The El Nino effect may not be there in the State as the catchment areas in north, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh are getting huge rains and the rivers are brimming with water. However, Srisailam waters are being drawn by the upper riparian state of Telangana by using five lifts affecting Rayalaseema, he said.
*Coalition Govt driving aqua sector into crisis: YSRCP*
