Expressing concern over injustice being meted out to farmers, Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy today said the governments have to offer minimum support price for spices and any other agriculture produce.
Srinivas Reddy lamented that chilli farmers in the State faced problem of minimum support price as the Centre failed to announce the actual price for commercial crop. “Despite our best efforts and mounted pressure, the Centre failed to announce MSP for chilli crop that added to the woes of the farmers, he bemoaned. He was addressing at a workshop on “Species and MSP for the farmers” at Haritha Plaza here along with Irrigation & Marketing Minister T Harish Rao and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Pocharam said injustice was being meted out to the farmers as their produce was not getting remunerative price. Despite spending huge money and time for producing various crops and marketing them to the nearby markets, the farmers could not get MSP. The farmers used to spend much time in the markets though they are getting the remunerative price or minimum support price he expressed concern. The state government is trying to protect the interests of the farmers and give MSP for their produce.
He reiterated that the TRS Government was farmers’ friendly and waived off Rs 17,000 crore crop loans giving a major reprieve. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced another sop for the farmers, who can get Rs 8000 per acre for two seasons from next financial year.
Export policy based on farm produce: Harish
Harish Rao urged the Centre to take necessary steps to protect the interests of the farmers across the country by giving remunerative prices for spices and other farm produce. It is time for the Centre to come up with a new export policies based on the farm produce coming to the open markets. He said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has kept his promise of waiving of crop loans. “Besides giving MSP to the farm produce, we are trying to resolve the problems of the farmers”, he said. The Chief Minister’s new sop of giving Rs 4000 per acre for single season will boost their confidence to go in for crops avoiding the debt burden, he said. The TRS Government will extend all support for the farmers, Harish Rao said, adding that the Chief Minister was making unrelenting efforts for the welfare of the farmers. (NSS)