Ongole: Social forestry farmers to meet CM Jagan on Jan 10

Ongole: The leaders of social forestry farmers, irrespective of their political affiliation, are planning to meet Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada on January 10, to demand him to keep up his promises made to them like providing a price of Rs 5,000 per ton to the wood, convincing the Union government to impose import cess on wood pulp, etc., during his padayatra.

After several protests by the social forestry farmers, the State government had appointed a three-Minister committee in January 2016 to discuss with the paper mills representatives and farmers over the agreeable price. After a series of meetings, the Ministers announced that the companies agreed to buy subabul at Rs 4,400 per ton while eucalyptus and casuarina at Rs 4,600 per ton. The government issued GO RT No 143 in February 2016, with guidelines to the Commissioner and Director of Agricultural marketing department, to see the paper mills purchase the wood at identified weighbridges in the presence of Agriculture Market Committee staff and farmers only. Paper mills should submit indent for one-month requirement and a bank guarantee for one-week transaction value and the paper mills will pay to farmers directly through online within five days of sale etc. However, the guidelines were not implemented and the paper mills didn't care to pay the prices to the farmers that were agreed. In some places, farmers received just Rs 2,000 per ton, that too after months of transaction.

The social forestry farmers continued their protests demanding the government's intervention in providing better prices. Without response from the government even after several protests, farmers' leaders are gathering support of farmers in villages to meet the CM to remind his promise. Social Forestry Farmers Association State general secretary Vadde Hanumareddy explained that due to the non-implementation of agreed prices, subabul, eucalyptus and casuarina farmers are losing about Rs 60,000 per acre. He reminded that the then Opposition leader in Assembly, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his padayatra before 2019 elections, had announced in his meetings in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts to provide Rs 5,000 per ton to social forestry farmers if they cooperate to form the YSRCP government.

Hanumareddy said YSRCP government formed and Jagan became the CM about two and a half years ago but he forgot his promise. 'Hence, we are gearing up to meet CM Jagan in Vijayawada on January 10 to demand him to fulfil his poll promise.'

Samyukt Kisan Morcha Prakasam district convener Chunduru Rangarao said companies were demanding local farmers to sell wood at cheap prices threatening that they are at liberty to import wood pulp from other countries at a cheaper price. He explained that the officers and paper mills representatives suggest the social forestry farmers cultivate in drylands, but it was the government, who encouraged them to cultivate social forestry plantations based on the recommendations from the Reserve Bank of India to stop the suicides of the cotton and tobacco farmers.

Hanumareddy and Rangarao said that their demands include involvement of the government marketing committees in wood sale, taking the responsibility of providing a price of Rs 5,000 per ton, and deposit the same into farmers' bank accounts. 'They also demanded the government to establish a paper mill in Prakasam district, invite representatives from each of the farmers' associations for the meetings with the paper mills representatives, marketing officials at the district and state levels, take the responsibility of collecting dues from the SPM company to the farmers.'