Andhra Pradesh: Banana farmers pushed to misery under CM Chandrababu, alleges YS Jagan Reddy
Amaravati, December 5
YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has criticised the Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government, alleging that banana farmers in the state have been pushed into severe distress.
Jagan on Thursday said farmers are struggling to survive as a kilogram of bananas is reportedly being sold for just fifty paise. He claimed that during the previous YSRCP government, special railway cargo services were operated exclusively for banana and sugarcane farmers, helping them avoid exploitation by middlemen and significantly reducing transportation costs.
He further stated that banana exports, which stood at around 23,000 tonnes before the YSRCP came to power, had increased to nearly 3 lakh tonnes under his administration due to farmer-centric initiatives. "And now, under Chandrababu's governance, the situation has collapsed completely. Is Chandrababu running a government or grazing donkeys?" Jagan remarked.
He alleged that the present government has failed to protect farmers' interests and demanded immediate intervention to stabilise market conditions.
YSRCP President Jagan Reddy urged his party's Members of Parliament to focus on safeguarding Andhra Pradesh's rights and to highlight the severe challenges currently faced by farmers, workers, and vulnerable communities.
Reddy expressed his deep concern over the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Montha, which caused widespread destruction in October and early November, noting that it had devastated lakhs of acres of crops across the coastal districts of the state.
According to a YSRCP release, Jagan said farmers who lost their entire harvest are under unbearable financial strain, as "neither the state nor the Centre has provided compensation," and also criticised the failure to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP), alleging that the present government has left farmers at the mercy of traders and middlemen.
He further alleged that MSP has sharply fallen across major crops, including paddy, maize, black gram, cotton, red gram, banana, mirchi and mango, pushing the agriculture sector into a severe crisis and asked his party MPs to demand emergency relief funds and immediate restoration of guaranteed MSP procurement.
Jagan also said that free crop insurance--previously provided without a premium during the YSRCP government--has now been "discontinued," leaving farmers "unprotected" during natural disasters. Input subsidy is also not being offered, he added.
He alleged that the discontinuation of e-crop enumeration has caused confusion in crop data and denied farmers eligibility for compensation and assistance, and said that mirchi farmers were promised financial support but were "deceived", and mango farmers suffered losses due to non-payment by companies.
Raising another major concern, Jagan alleged the mass deletion of MGNREGA job cards, claiming that lakhs of rural labourers, including 18.63 lakh job card holders, have been removed from the rolls, undermining the livelihood security of poor families.
He demanded immediate restoration of all genuine job cards and clearance of pending wages.
He also instructed MPs to strongly oppose what he described as attempts to "privatise" parts of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While the situation for farmers sounds dire, the language used ("grazing donkeys") is unproductive. The focus should be on data and solutions. The claims about export growth from 23k to 3 lakh tonnes need verification. Both state and central governments need to step up with a concrete relief package.
The deletion of MGNREGA cards is a serious issue if true. That scheme is a lifeline for so many rural families, especially after crop loss. Wages pending is another big problem. It's not just about farmers, but the entire rural economy seems to be suffering. 😔
Special railway cargo for farmers was a brilliant initiative. Why was it stopped? Middlemen are the biggest problem for our annadata. Reducing their cut directly helps the farmer's income. Hope the MPs raise this issue strongly in Parliament.
Free crop insurance and input subsidies are essential in a state prone to cyclones. Discontinuing them is a cruel blow. It feels like farmers are being left to fend for themselves. Where is the "double engine" sarkar when you actually need it?
Every time the government changes, the previous schemes are scrapped. This "revenge governance" has to stop. The loser is always the common person - the farmer, the labourer. We need policy continuity for agriculture, regardless of which party is in power.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.