Naidu alleges raw deal to farmers in State, Kannababu says not now 

VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo and Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu has urged the YSRC government to purchase agricultural produce at  remunerative prices to rescue farmers from losses and debts.

The TDP chief conveyed his greetings to farmers on the occasion of the National Farmers Day on Thursday. “Once Andhra Pradesh flourished as the ‘Annapoorna’ (food producer) in the entire country. But now, the farmers in the State are left with no other option but to do street protests for loans, seeds, fertilisers and even for payments towards crops sold to the government.” The State is in third place in farmers’ suicides, he rued. Meanwhile, reiterating that the state  government is committed to the welfare of the farmers and agriculture sector, Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu slammed Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh for misleading farmers by spreading false information.

Speaking to the media, the minister said Naidu, who has neglected agriculture during his regime, has been shedding crocodile tears for farmers only to gain political mileage. The state government has credited Rs 90,000 crore into the accounts of farmers in the last two years. While the previous government has spent only Rs 43,000 crore  in its five years for paddy procurement, the present government has spent almost Rs 32,000 for the same in last two-and-a-half years. He listed various government schemes for the farmers.