Government taking care of mango farmers, asserts agriculture minister Kannababu
Agriculture Minister K Kannababu along with Special CS, Agriculture, Poonam Malakondaiah addressing the media in Vijayawada on Friday
Amaravati: Minister for agriculture K Kannababu said that the state government has been initiating steps to protect the interests of mango farmers. He criticised opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu for making false allegations on fall in mango prices.
Speaking to media persons here on Friday, the minister said that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was reviewing on mango prices regularly to protect the interests of mango farmers.
He said tahsildars, VROs and horticulture officers were appointed to monitor the mango prices at food processing units in Chittoor district. He said of the total 45 processing units, 27 units are functioning at present.
Kannababu said that the processing units purchased 1.5 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of mangoes so far and they have to purchase another 1.5 lakh MT. The state government has been taking steps to stabilise the price of mangoes, he said adding the present Covid situation also has adverse impact on mango prices.
Condemning the allegations of Naidu that minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and his brother are responsible for fall in of mango prices at food processing units, the agriculture minister said majority of food processing units are owned by TDP leaders only. He said the farmers are getting Rs 9.50 per kg of mangoes at present and efforts are on to provide Rs 11 per kg.
The minister said that the state government called for expression of interest from various companies to set up food processing units in each parliamentary constituency as per the directions of the Chief Minister who announced a policy to increase the number of food processing units in the state to protect the interests of farmers.
The minister said that during five years of TDP regime from 2014-19, only 11.29 lakh metric tonnes of agricultural produce was purchased as against 19.30 lakh tonnes purchased during two years of YSRCP government. He said that the state government allocated Rs 3,000 crore for price stabilisation of agricultural products.