Minister assures remunerative prices to tobacco farmers
Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy conducted a surprise inspection of the tobacco auction centre at Tanguturu in Prakasam district on Wednesday. He
Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy conducted a surprise inspection of the tobacco auction centre at Tanguturu in Prakasam district on Wednesday. He inquired in detail about the ongoing tobacco procurement process and the prices being offered to the farmers. He personally examined the tobacco bales and asked both officials and the farmers present whether the latter were receiving a remunerative price commensurate with the quality of the produce. He assured the farmers that their produce will be totally procured by the buyers. The Minister stated that the coalition government would stand by the tobacco farmers in every possible way.
“The government is working with the welfare of farmers as its primary objective,” he said, urging the buyers to ensure the purchase price of tobacco does not fall below ₹200 per kilogram. He noted that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had already held a review meeting with the ministers and senior officials regarding the issues faced by tobacco farmers. He stated that he would bring the observations made at the auction centre to the attention of Mr. Naidu. Swamy added that special measures were being taken to prevent any instances of ‘no-bid’ situations or lack of transparency in the bidding process.
He urged the traders to participate in auctions across all platforms and support the farmers, so that no one would face losses this season. He assured that the State government would take measures to ensure the purchase of the entire crop from the farmers. He emphasised that steps were being taken to prevent farmers from being exploited by middlemen and to ensure that every farmer receives a fair price for their produce. The Minister also directed officials to ensure timely payments to farmers, stressing that there should be no room for delays.
He further directed Agriculture and Revenue department officials to continuously monitor the tobacco auction process. He emphasised the need to oversee the purchasing process constantly and remain fully accessible to the farmers. He assured the farmers that all necessary measures would be taken to secure the best prices for quality tobacco grades, in line with international market standards.
The BriefWire