YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday criticized Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that the state government had abandoned farmers to the mercy of middlemen and brokers.

He claimed that farmers are not receiving minimum support prices (MSP) for any crop under the current TDP-led coalition government.

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The former chief minister visited the Guntur Chili Yard, one of the largest chili markets in Asia, and interacted with farmers. Chili farmers are distressed as prices have declined, making it difficult for them to recover their costs.

Speaking to the media, Reddy slammed the state government for failing to provide MSP to farmers for black gram, green gram, tomato, cotton, and other crops.

Brushing aside the discomfort caused by the pungency of chili, Reddy said, “Guntur Mirchi Yard is hardly any distance from Chandrababu Naidu’s secretariat. Farmers are not getting minimum support prices.”

“Last year, chili prices were between Rs 21,000 and Rs 27,000. Today, farmers are not able to sell even for Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000. That is the plight of the farmers,” he said.

“All the promises that Chandrababu Naidu made, including Rs 20,000 beyond the PM Kisan scheme, have proven to be a lie. The Rythu Bharosa Kendras, which were operational during our regime, are now dysfunctional,” added Reddy.

He alleged, “Not only chili, even paddy procured earlier was at a lower price. There is no transparency in the system. It has become a broker procurement system, and Chandrababu Naidu is hand in glove with the brokers, subjecting farmers to losses.”

The YSRCP claimed that under its government, a record 16.10 lakh tonnes of chili were exported, opening up international markets and stabilizing prices. The previous regime had introduced investment support schemes to reduce the financial burden on farmers.

The administration took steps to improve cold storage facilities and prevent middlemen from exploiting farmers. However, the area under cultivation has now fallen to 180,000 hectares from 241,000 hectares, production has declined by 34.8 per cent, and yield per hectare has fallen by nearly 11 per cent.

Rising input costs, pest infestations, and extreme weather conditions are among the causes of the hardship plaguing chili farmers.