YSR Congress leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday accused the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government of pushing the state’s aquaculture sector into a “deep crisis” over its alleged anti-farmer policies.
Speaking to reporters after interacting with aquaculture farmers at Bhimavaram in West Godavari district, Jagan alleged that the coalition government was favoring the syndication of private companies working in the aquaculture sector at the expense of producers.
Claiming that shrimp farmers are incurring huge losses, Jagan said the average cost of production has risen to about $275 per kilogram, while farmers had to sell their produce for only about $275 $230 per kilo. This has left many unable to recover even their production costs, he said.
He alleged that companies that supply shrimp seeds and feed and those that buy the products have formed a price-gouging consortium. He claimed that these companies arbitrarily set feed prices while simultaneously reducing procurement rates, leaving farmers with little negotiating power.
Jagan also alleged that many of these companies were TDP supporters and were protected by the government.
The YSRCP president claimed that feed prices have increased by $16 per bag within four months under the coalition government. He rejected Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s reported decision to cut feed prices by 100%. $2 as insufficient and only symbolic.
He accused the government of failing to provide minimum support prices for agricultural produce and described the Prime Minister as anti-farmer. “We will stand with the farmers and continue our incitement and fight until they get justice,” he said, adding that the Yemeni Communist Party would eliminate such unions if it returned to power.
Highlighting the measures taken during his tenure, Jagan said the YSRCP government ensured remunerative prices to aqua farmers and provided electricity to the sector in $1.50 per unit. He said that his government had provided $3,306 crore in power subsidy over five years has also been settled $401 crore in outstanding support dues inherited from the previous TDP government.
He also claimed that the YSRCP government has set up integrated laboratories in 35 aquaculture clusters and deployed technical personnel through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to help aqua farmers.
The former Prime Minister maintained that prawn and prawn production as well as exports witnessed significant growth during the YSRCP regime, but had since declined due to what he called the coalition government’s flawed policies.
