Amaravati, August 5: Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress Party and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, is set to visit the Devarapalli tobacco auction center in West Godavari district on Wednesday. The party announced that he will meet with distressed farmers facing declining tobacco prices.
During his visit, Jagan Mohan Reddy will review the current tobacco purchasing process and assess the conditions faced by farmers. According to the party’s statement, he will oversee purchasing operations and engage in detailed discussions with tobacco farmers to understand their issues.
While conversing with the farmers, he will address various topics, including cultivation costs, minimum support prices, purchasing systems, and other challenges faced by tobacco producers. Jagan Mohan Reddy will listen to farmers’ grievances directly and seek feedback on issues affecting their livelihoods. He will focus on ensuring fair prices for farmers and resolving purchasing-related problems.
M.V.S. Nagi Reddy, the party’s general secretary, informed the media at the party’s central office in Tadepalli that tobacco producers had previously urged the party leader to visit the auction center and witness their situation firsthand. He pointed out that despite Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s claims of “low bid-no bid,” tobacco prices have been consistently falling.
Nagi Reddy stated that the Chief Minister has maintained that tobacco should not be purchased for less than ₹200 per kilogram, yet the current average price is only ₹186.90 per kilogram. He accused the Tobacco Board of failing to upload crucial auction-related data, such as volume, price, and rejected goods, for the past ten days, exacerbating farmers’ difficulties due to a lack of information.
He noted that farmers are protesting, but there has been no response from the government. As a responsible opposition party, the YSR Congress Party will raise farmers’ issues based on authentic data.
According to Nagi Reddy, tobacco farmers are suffering losses of up to ₹50 per kilogram, and recent announcements from the central minister will not provide significant relief. He mentioned that the government stated that high-quality tobacco would be purchased at ₹250 per kilogram, medium quality at ₹190, and low quality at ₹110.
He emphasized that the current situation necessitates the activation of Markfed to enhance market competition and ensure fair prices for farmers. He expressed hope that whenever Jagan Mohan Reddy meets with farmers, whether they are tobacco, chili, or fruit producers, the government takes action.
Nagi Reddy is optimistic that the former Chief Minister’s visit to West Godavari will yield positive outcomes and that the voices of tobacco farmers will be heard at the national level. He also mentioned that the YSR Congress Party believes the impact of El Niño in the state will be minimal, as heavy rainfall is occurring in northern India, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh, filling rivers with water.
However, he alleged that the upper coastal state of Telangana is drawing water from the Srisailam reservoir through five lift irrigation projects, adversely affecting the Rayalaseema region.
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