In view of the current special situation regarding tobacco, mango and other crop products, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to stand by the farmers. He directed to increase the speed of HD Burley tobacco purchases and to make crop products purchases without any hassle for the farmers.
“Technology should be used for monitoring crop details and purchases. The best grading system should be implemented to increase exports,” the CM advised the officials. He reviewed the support price and procurement issues for tobacco, mango and cocoa products and clarified that crop products should be viewed from a commercial perspective.
Chandrababu Naidu directed that steps should be taken to ensure that farmers get the best possible price and that the best grading system should be implemented to increase the exports of crop products as required by the international market. He advised them to prepare an action plan to set up more fruit processing units across the state.
In the case of tobacco, officials said that 80 million kg of HD Burley variety was produced this year and 27 million kg have been sold so far, while the CM ordered the immediate purchase of the remaining 53 million kg of HD Burley tobacco. Officials said that steps have been taken to purchase 33 million kg of tobacco from 24 companies.
Officials said that arrangements have been made to purchase the remaining 20 million kg of tobacco through Markfed at 7 centers in Bapatla, Guntur, Palnadu and Prakasam districts, and the CM ordered that steps be taken to ensure that every tobacco farmer knows the details of the purchase centers and related information.
Chandrababu said that he has already spoken to the Center on the issue of reducing duty on palm oil and reducing GST on mango pulp from 12 percent to 5 percent, and the officials should coordinate with the relevant central government departments on this. He said that farmers should be made aware of the crop plan regarding mango from time to time.
Currently, an additional support price of Rs. 4 per kg is being given to mangoes, and processing units are instructed to ensure that the purchase price does not fall below Rs. 8. He said that the government will help the farmer so that he does not suffer any loss. Officials explained that the cocoa crop has produced 12,000 metric tons, of which 10,000 tons have already been sold, and that 80-100 tons are being purchased daily.
The CM ordered that the remaining production should also be purchased by the first week of July. Minister Atchannaidu, senior officials of the agriculture and horticulture departments participated in the review.
