The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rytu Sangham plans stir for minimum support price

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rytu Sangham plans stir for minimum support price

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 23. The Andhra Pradesh Rytu Sangham (APRS) has announced that it will stage dharna near agricultural market yards all over the State on February 28 seeking minimum support prices (MSP) for agricultural produce.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, the APRS vice-president, Koratala Satyanarayana, and the secretary, Sarampalli Malla Reddy, said that despite the best of the "so-called" efforts of the Congress Government, the situation had not improved for farmers in the State.

They regretted that the prices of cotton, turmeric, chilli and groundnut were at least Rs.500 to Rs.1,000 lesser at the commencement of the season this year than what they were last year.

They asked the Government to step in to save farmers by implementing a minimum price of Rs. 2,500 for cotton and Rs. 3,000 each for chilli and turmeric and take up procurement through Government agencies.

No relief to farmers

"Have the suicides stopped? Has the daily life of the farmer improved? Has the debt burden of the farmer come down? When will the irrigation projects be completed and when will the water come?"

Mr. Satyanarayana said that if the Government did not respond to the dharnas on February 28 and offer MSP to farmers, they would plan their agitation further.

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