Telangana TDP president L Ramana today demanded immediate market intervention to protect interest of chilli farmers, who are facing problems as they are not getting minimum support price of their produce.
Speaking to the media here today, L Ramana said the farmers were resorting to set fire to their chilli crops as they were not getting support price in various markets like Malakpet, Enumamula, Khammam, Gadwal and Suryapet. Last year, one quintal of chilli was sold for Rs 12,000, but this year the price was between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4000, the TDP leader said and demanded that the State government immediately buy chilli from farmers under market intervention scheme and protect the interests of the farmers, L Ramana said.
Party’s politburo member Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, who was also present at the press conference, lamented that the Chief Minister never gave a call to a single family of a farmer who committed suicide in the state. He said 2,800 farmers have committed suicide in the state.
Ravula said the farmers were setting fire to their crops in their agriculture fields, on roads and markets as they were not getting minimum support price for their produce. The party will be organizing protests on farmers’ problems, he added.
State party president Vangal Swami Goud, general secretary Bollam Mallaiah Yadav, TNTUC president B N Reddy were present. (NSS)