Farmers leaders demand setting up of mango board in Chittoor district

Chittoor: District Farmers Forum  Chief  K Jayachandra Choudary demanded the State government to constitute Mango Board immediately to protect the interests of the farmers in Chittoor district.    

The Government  should also take an appropriate  decision   for reopening  the Chittoor Cooperative  Dairy  as well as  Chittoor  Sugar factory without delay, he urged.  In response to the call given by the District Farmers’ United Forum, farmers  across  the district staged dharna at the Collectorate here on Monday  highlighting their grievances. 

Addressing the agitating  farmers,  Jayachandra  Choudary  reiterated that there was no need for the farmers for waiving of loans in any form. The drought relief measures during  drought conditions would help the farmers. Farmers need help only to continue their farming activities. He regretted that there was no  the needed cooperation among the farmers to exert pressure on the Government.  

He stated   that  Chief Minister  N Chandrababu Naidu  should take immediate steps  for constituting  Mango Board in Chittoor with immediate effect .During the last three years , the private  fruit processing units  in the district  played a key role in dictating the price for mango produce .

The farmers  were forced to sell mango fruits at  Rs.4 per kg to the processing units. A large number of mango farmers are in deplarable condition as they incur losses due to lack of demand. He demanded minimum support price for mangoes.

District  CPM  Secretary  Kamar Reddy  demanded the Government to resume all defunct cooperative sugar factories  and dairies  in the district.  Farmers’ Union leaders   A S Mahohar, Nageswara Raj, Krishna Reddy, and others spoke.