YSRCP leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy demanded a minimum price of Rs.15 per kg for Totapuri mangoes, warning of statewide protests if the Andhra Pradesh government fails to protect farmers.
Tirupati:YSRCP State Official Spokesperson Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Saturday demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government ensure a minimum price of Rs.15 per kilogram for Totapuri mangoes, alleging that farmers were suffering heavy losses due to poor market prices and inadequate procurement.
In a video statement released from his residence in Tirupati, Bhumana said the government's decision to provide Rs.4 per kilogram under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) was insufficient to compensate farmers.
He claimed that juice processing factories were not purchasing Totapuri mangoes even at Rs.6 per kilogram, leaving growers with an effective realization of less than Rs.10 per kilogram after including the government subsidy.
According to the YSRCP leader, thousands of mango farmers have incurred severe losses as nearly two lakh tonnes of Totapuri mangoes have already gone to waste due to the absence of adequate market support and timely procurement.
Bhumana alleged that farmers have been waiting outside juice factories for several days with tractor and lorry loads of produce, but procurement has remained slow. He urged the state government to intervene immediately, prevent the alleged exploitation of farmers by processing units and ensure that all pending produce is procured without delay.
The YSRCP spokesperson also called on the Andhra Pradesh government to adopt a model similar to Karnataka, where, he claimed, the Centre had approved procurement of Totapuri mangoes at Rs.17.50 per kilogram.
He warned that if the government failed to respond to the concerns of mango growers, the YSRCP would launch a statewide agitation in support of the farming community.
The party maintained that immediate market intervention and better price support were essential to prevent further losses and protect the livelihoods of mango farmers across the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government has not yet responded to the demands made by the YSRCP. The claims made by the opposition party regarding procurement and pricing could not be independently verified.
