*YSRCP demand Rs. 320/kg for Tobacco to save farmers*

Jangareddygudem, July 7: YSR Congress Party leaders, along with farmer associations and leaders of Left parties, led a massive protest and public meeting in Jangareddygudem demanding a remunerative price of ₹320 per kg for tobacco and urging the government to allocate ₹1,000 crore for procurement through MARKFED. Thousands of farmers participated in a tractor rally involving nearly 1,000 tractors, protesting what they described as the government’s continued neglect of tobacco growers. The leaders said tobacco farmers have suffered continuously under the coalition government, with election promises giving way to policies that have pushed cultivators into deep financial distress.

The speakers pointed out that while governments earn nearly ₹1 lakh crore annually through direct and indirect revenues from tobacco, the farmers who cultivate the crop are being denied fair returns. Tobacco that fetched ₹460 per kg last season is now selling for less than ₹260 per kg, resulting in losses of nearly ₹200 per kg. Even after more than 100 days into the 2025-26 marketing season, the highest price has not crossed ₹265 per kg, while nearly 40 percent of tobacco bales brought to auction are being rejected. Farmers said quality grades such as J Style, Lemon, Grade-5 and Grade-6 are also being turned away on various grounds, making cultivation economically unviable. They stressed that even at ₹320 per kg, growers would still incur losses of nearly ₹5 lakh per barn, highlighting the severity of the crisis.

YSRCP leaders demanded immediate intervention through MARKFED procurement, restoration of remunerative prices and protection of farmers from mounting losses. They also criticized the government’s fertilizer policies, saying even urea has become difficult to obtain because of the new app-based distribution system. The party declared that it would intensify its agitation and take the plight of tobacco farmers directly to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, reaffirming that YSRCP would continue its struggle until tobacco growers receive fair prices, timely procurement and meaningful government support.