Union govt should save agriculture from crisis: AIKSCC

Ongole: The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and various farmers and farm workers associations organized a preparatory roundtable meeting for the Rural India Strike scheduled for January 8, at the Kalyani Conference Hall in Ongole on Friday.

Former minister and AIKSCC state convener Vadde Sobhanadriswara Rao, Andhra Pradesh Raitu Sangham leader Ravula Venkaiah, Raitanga Samakhya state president Yerneni Nagendranath, Kaulu Raitu Sangam state secretary P Jamalaiah, AIKSCC district convener Chunduri Rangarao, Nallamada Raitu Sangham president Dr Kolla Rajamohan, Virginia Tobacco Farmers Welfare Association president Chunchu Seshaiah, YSR Raitusangham president Mareddy Sunnareddy, Kisan Congress district president Vallamreddy Rajagopal Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Raitu Sangham general secretaries Vadde Hanumareddy and Pamidi Venkata Rao and several others participated and spoke in the roundtable meeting.

The speakers opined that the union government is trying to lure farmers with empty actions while the agriculture field is in crisis. They demanded the government to announce C2+50 per cent as the minimum support price by implementing the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

They also demanded the government to immediately purchase the agriculture produce still at the farmers and let them get relief from the hefty loan burden.

They demanded the prime minister to help the farmers relieved from the loans, take a decision to control imports, modify the Fasal Bima Yojana to provide more benefits to the farmers and do not include farm products in the pacts with other countries.