YSRCP Ruined Aquaculture for Five Years, Now Playing Caste Politics Over Price Crisis: M.A. Shariff

Government Advisor M.A. Shariff strongly condemned former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for pushing the state's aquaculture sector into severe losses over the past five years and now using caste politics to mask his administration's glaring failures. Speaking to the media at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri on Thursday, Shariff stated that while Jagan remained silent when feed and seed prices skyrocketed during his tenure, he is now falsely accusing the current coalition government, which is actively supporting every aqua farmer with comprehensive subsidies and incentives. Shariff pointed out that it was actually the YSRCP government that slashed farmer subsidies by dividing them into discriminatory "aqua zone" and "non-zone" categories.

Highlighting the natural advantages of Andhra Pradesh, Shariff noted that the state's expansive 900-kilometer coastline, stretching from Ichchapuram to Tada, is a tremendous asset. He emphasized that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has always envisioned transforming these coastal districts into aquaculture hubs to maximize farmer incomes, consistently supporting the sector since his early tenure in 1995. Shariff criticized Jagan for viewing every issue through a political lens since losing power, pointing out the absurdity of assigning caste identities to seed, feed, and processing units. He explained that current feed prices are fluctuating due to international realities like global raw material shortages and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, factors that Jagan is conveniently ignoring to launch baseless attacks.

Reflecting on the YSRCP's tenure, Shariff reminded the press that none of the promises made to aqua farmers were actually fulfilled. Between 2019 and 2024, feed prices skyrocketed from ₹90.40 to over ₹110 per kilogram, placing an extra burden of roughly ₹20,200 per ton on farmers. Even when the previous government claimed to reduce prices, it was strictly on paper, leaving farmers to buy at inflated rates on the ground. Shariff alleged that the YSRCP collected thousands of crores through "J-Tax," extorting an estimated ₹5,000 crores from seed, feed, and processing companies. Ultimately, these massive operational costs were passed straight down to the working farmers.

The previous administration's handling of power subsidies was another major point of contention. Despite promising electricity at ₹1.50 per unit during his padayatra, Jagan failed to deliver. Instead, his government restricted subsidies to those cultivating under 10 acres in designated aqua zones. As a result, only 30 percent of farmers saw any benefit, while the remaining 70 percent were left out. To make matters worse, severe power cuts forced farmers to rely heavily on diesel generators, adding around ₹70,000 per acre in extra operational costs. The YSRCP government also left behind unpaid power subsidy dues to Discoms amounting to a staggering ₹1,800 crores.

Shariff didn't hold back on the issue of pricing and taxes, noting that while the YSRCP announced a Minimum Support Price of ₹240 per kilo for shrimp, farmers were paid a mere ₹210. The previous government also quadrupled the agricultural market cess on aqua products from 25 paise to one rupee and sharply increased water usage charges. In contrast, the current coalition government is taking active steps to shield farmers. When US import duties recently threatened shrimp exports, Chief Minister Naidu acted immediately by writing to the Center. With the Prime Minister's intervention, exports were stabilized, and farmers secured profitable prices. Furthermore, the market cess hiked by the YSRCP has been completely abolished.

To further ease the burden on farmers, Shariff reported that the ₹1.50 per unit power subsidy is now being provided to every registered aqua farmer, completely scrapping the discriminatory zone restrictions. The coalition is currently spending ₹1,200 crores on power subsidies to support the sector, a 50 percent increase from the ₹800 crores spent previously. Looking ahead, Shariff highlighted the construction of an Integrated Aqua Park in Nizampatnam, Bapatla district. Built at a cost of ₹88.08 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, the facility will provide modern infrastructure to boost productivity, quality, and exports. He concluded by urging the farming community to look at the facts, ignore the false propaganda, and support Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s genuine efforts to safeguard the aquaculture sector.