Aqua farmers should get MSP: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that aqua farmers should get MSP (Minimum Support Price) and the government should provide basic infrastructure for pre-primary and secondary processing.

During a review meeting on animal husbandry and fisheries departments here on Thursday, the Chief Minister told the officials that aqua farmers should get the MSP besides providing pre-processing, IQF and cold storage facilities.

These facilities, which will help the farmer to store their produce to get remunerative price, should be linked to Janata Bazaars which will boost the morale of the farmers and keep the middlemen and private syndicates at bay.

"For the first time we have started Market Stabilisation Fund and have released Rs 3,200 crore to save the farmers from middlemen and have spent money on tobacco farmers. We should think of the interests of aqua farmers as well on those lines and ensure fair price to aqua products like prawns, fish besides poultry, dairy, cereals, vegetables, fruits and others.. The pattern of e-cropping should also be adapted to aqua field," he said.

He said during his Padayatra farmers had told me about how they were being exploited by syndicates from seed, feed to processing, dictating the market terms.

"We have to show an alternative to the farmers and must provide them infrastructure to store their products till they get the proper price so that there would not any distress sale on part of the farmer. We should plan the facilities taking mandal as a unit," the Chief Minister said.