Activists of the Telugu Desam Party(TDP) staged a demonstration in front of the Prakasam Bhavan here on Saturday protesting against the “anti-farmer” policies of the YSRCP government.
The activists, led by party Ongole Lok Sabha unit president N. Balaji, raised slogans demanding market intervention in support of different sections of farmers, including growers of paddy and Bengal gram.
TDP farmers wing district president K. Venkaiah said none of the farmers received a remunerative price for their produce. He added that out of 25,000, only 1,233 quintals of the Bengal gram was procured by market intervention agencies, forcing farmers to put the rest of the produce in cold storage units.
The purchase price of subabul and eucalyptus had fallen below ₹2,000 per tonne as against over ₹4,200 per tonne agreed by paper mills at the behest of the State government, he alleged, adding that the zero interest scheme for farmers had not served the purpose in view of reduction in the loan amount to ₹1 lakh.