YSRCP Government committed to farmers' welfare: Speaker Tammineni Sitaram

Srikakulam: The YSRCP government is committed to welfare of farmers in the State, said State Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram. He inaugurated a maize purchase centre at Ponduru Agricultural Market Committee (AMC) premises on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Speaker explained that the government enhanced the minimum support price for maize by Rs 100 per quintal and the present rate is Rs 1,850 as against the previous price of Rs 1,750.

As alternative and irrigated dry crop maize is important in the district and its cultivation is possible with less water and investment when compare to paddy.

So farmers were switching over to cultivation of maize crop in the district, the Speaker pointed out.

Maize crop is the second most important crop in the district after paddy particularly during the rabi season.

Actually the purchase of maize by the State government should have started two months ago but due to the delay in setting up of purchase centres, farmers were subjected to exploitation by middlemen and brokers who earned Rs 600 on each quintal of maize, he said.

The Speaker suggested to the district officials to work hard with commitment to serve people particularly farmers. Ponduru Agricultural Market Committee (AMC) chairman Badana Suneel Kumar, YSRCP youth wing State general secretary T V S Chiranjivi Nag, local YSRCP leaders S Gandhi, Ch Lakshunnaidu, K Gopalam, B Ramakrishna and others were present.