Jagan Accuses Govt of Neglecting Tobacco Farmers
He claimed that although the Tobacco Board had assured procurement, it had failed to purchase the expected quantities, while private traders allegedly kept prices artificially low.
Vijayawada:Former chief minister and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday accused the alliance government of neglecting tobacco farmers, alleging that rising cultivation costs and falling procurement prices had pushed them into severe financial distress.
Speaking to the media during his visit to Devarapalli in East Godavari district, where he interacted with tobacco farmers, Jagan alleged that tobacco companies had formed a cartel to manipulate prices, forcing farmers into distress sales.
He claimed that although the Tobacco Board had assured procurement, it had failed to purchase the expected quantities, while private traders allegedly kept prices artificially low.
Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was "hand in glove" with the syndicate and claimed that only 20 per cent of the crop had been procured through the Tobacco Board.
He said that during the previous YSRC government, tobacco fetched an average price of ₹289 per kg, but the average had fallen to ₹220 per kg over the past 27 months, with some farmers reportedly selling their produce for as little as ₹170 per kg.
The former chief minister said his government had introduced measures to safeguard farmers' interests by making Markfed a tobacco buyer to increase competition and improve prices.
He also alleged that the alliance government had withdrawn the zero-interest crop loan scheme, further worsening the financial condition of tobacco farmers.
