CM seeks Centre’s support for aquaculture, tobacco sectors in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Union Minister for Fisheries
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh seeking policy and financial support for the State’s aquaculture and tobacco sectors, citing rising input costs and growing competition in global markets. Naidu, in a letter to Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, requested a reduction in GST on aquaculture aerators from 18% to 5%, a one-time additional ₹5 lakh credit limit under the Kisan Credit Card scheme for aquaculture farmers, and creation of a ₹100-crore NFDB (Fisheries Development Board) corpus for domestic marketing.
He also sought a reduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax) on unmanufactured tobacco from 40% to 28%, saying it would benefit farmers, traders and exporters while strengthening the sector’s competitiveness. Export issues In his letter to Mr. Piyush Goyal, the Chief Minister urged regulation of fish meal exports, arguing that export incentives have pushed up domestic prices. He also sought export incentives for FCV (Flue-Cured Virginia) tobacco and inclusion of unmanufactured tobacco under the RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme to improve export competitiveness.
Plea on imports Naidu, in another letter to Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, requested permission to import genetically modified (GM) soybean meal, a key ingredient in shrimp feed, to address domestic shortages and reduce feed costs. He noted that similar imports were allowed in 2021 and said increasing shrimp exports from Ecuador have intensified competition in major markets, including the U.S., China and Europe. The Chief Minister also sought the establishment of a regional office of the NFDB in Amaravati, recalling the Union Minister’s assurance during a seafood exports workshop in Visakhapatnam.
The State has allotted 7.89 acres at Nekkallu village for the office, along with a fisheries training centre, fisheries park and public aquarium, he added.
The BriefWire