Andhra Pradesh govt pushed agriculture sector into crises: Chandrababu Naidu

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu today came down heavily on the Andhra Pradesh government alleging that it had pushed the agriculture sector into crisis through its anti-farmer policies.

"Farmers are languishing due to lack of seeds and fertilisers, the two critical inputs, even as the agricultural season began. The government doesn't seem to have a policy or a plan to handle the situation," Naidu said.

The Leader of Opposition was interacting with aggrieved farmers from Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Vizianagaram districts, at the NTR Bhavan here today.

Though the Kharif agriculture season is underway, the government failed to position required quantities of seed in different districts forcing the hapless farmers and their families to wait endlessly on roads to purchase a pack of the critical input, Naidu said.

"The state does not even have a regular agriculture minister while the Chief Minister and other ministers are busy making rounds of New Delhi. Taking advantage of the situation, the seed companies and dealers are exploiting the farmers by increasing up the prices," he alleged.

Even the Government of India is looting the farmers having increased fertiliser prices four times in the last two years, he added.

He demanded that the government immediately supply adequate quantities of seeds and fertiliser to farmers and save the crop season.