Ongole: Social forestry farmers demand implementation of agreed prices

Ongole: Members of Prakasam district unit of Social Forestry Farmers Association met Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy at his residence in Ongole on Thursday and demanded him to see the paper mill companies pay the agreed prices for the pulpwood.

The members explained to the Minister that after several protests by the social forestry farmers, the Andhra Pradesh government had appointed a three-Minister committee and announced that the companies agreed to buy subabul at Rs 4,400 per tonne while buying eucalyptus and casuarina at Rs 4,600 per tonne.

In the orders, the government issued guidelines to the Commissioner and Director of Agricultural marketing department, to see the paper mills purchase wood at identified weighbridges in the presence of Agriculture Market Committee staff and farmers, paper mills to submit indent for one-month requirement and a bank guarantee for one-week transaction value, the paper mills pay the farmers directly through online within five days of sale and etc.

The Social Forestry Farmers Association members explained that due to the non-implementation of agreed prices, subabul, eucalyptus and casuarina farmers were losing about Rs 60,000 per acre. The members said that they are receiving just Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per tonne of subabul, and Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per tonne of eucalyptus and casuarinas now.

They demanded the Minister to see the government issues strict orders to the companies to pay the agreed prices to farmers' accounts directly, conduct a quarterly review on the sales of pulpwood by the Joint Collector, ban the forest department from growing pulpwood in the forests, increase cess on imported pulp and pulpwood, remove the clause to supply the peeled wood. They also demanded the minister to convince the government to establish a paper mill in the district to help the local social forestry farmers.

Social forestry farmers association state general secretary Vadde Hanumareddy, district president K Veerareddy, general secretary TV Seshaiah, D Veeranarayana, O Prakash Rao and others were present.