YSRCP demands Onion procurement to save farmers

Kurnool, August 28: Onion farmers in Kurnool staged a protest at the agriculture market yard demanding a fair Minimum Support Price (MSP). Traders are offering as low as Rs. 200–Rs. 400 per quintal, in some cases not even Rs. 100, pushing farmers into unbearable distress. Farmers demanded at least Rs. 2,000 per quintal to cover their costs, warning of mounting debts without government support.
YSRCP Kurnool District President S.V. Mohan Reddy, along with Vangala Bharat Kumar Reddy (State Vice-President, Farmer Wing) and Ternekallu Surender Reddy (State Secretary), met the protesting farmers and extended solidarity. Mohan Reddy condemned the government’s apathy, pointing out that farmers who once got Rs. 3,000–Rs. 5,000 per quintal are now left without buyers. Cultivation costs exceed Rs. 1.2 lakh per acre, yet officials have ignored farmers waiting for over a week at the market yard.
Recalling Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, he said the government then directly procured onions and sold them through Rythu Bazaars. “Today, farmers face harassment from creditors and even fear being driven to suicide. This crisis demands urgent action,” he warned.
Assuring farmers of YSRCP’s full support, Mohan Reddy declared: “Naidu’s so-called farmer’s government is an empty slogan. Ministers and MLAs remain silent while farmers suffer. The government must immediately procure all onion stocks. If it fails, YSRCP will launch an agitation in farmers’ defense.”