Date:05/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/05/stories/2005030505070600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Better prices for farm produce promised

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 4. The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, today said that the Government would take necessary steps to ensure remunerative prices for the agriculture produce irrespective of Central intervention.

Not satisfied with the Minister's reply, agitated TDP members rushed to the podium of the Assembly as the Revenue Minister, Dharmana Prasada Rao, got up to make another statement. They insisted that they needed some clarifications. Even as the members protested, the panel Speaker, B. Vedavyas, adjourned the House till Wednesday.

Replying to a short discussion on minimum support price for agriculture produce, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said cotton and chilli growers would not be let down. He said he would visit Delhi to prevail upon the Centre to direct Nafed to intervene. "Whether the Centre comes to our rescue or not, the State Government is determined to bail out the farmers," Mr. Reddy said.

Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) had procured 6.13 lakh tonnes as against 1 lakh tonnes last year from the State market. Though there was no MSP for cotton, the Government had followed the market intervention scheme to ensure remunerative prices.

He agreed that prices of chillies were not satisfactory and exports to Sri Lanka were badly hit by tsunami. Heavy arrivals from China to Bangladesh also caused losses to the Indian produce. Last year's produce was still lying in the cold storage, he pointed out. The Leader of the Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, wanted to know whether Rs. 2,100 per quintal would be fixed as procurement price for cotton. He alleged that the CCI was procuring cotton at Rs. 1,300 per quintal, and flayed the Government's insensitivity towards the ryots.