54.9 lakh farmers received 11,500 cr so far: Pulla Rao

​Eluru: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the Farmer Producer Company (FPC) system at Anantapur on July 5, according to Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao.

While speaking at a meeting organised to distribute loan waiver certificates to farmers at Pedakadimi village in Pedavegi mandal on Sunday, the Minister said that through the farmer-producer-company system, the farmers can sell 25 varieties of crops.

He said the international bidders would purchase those products at Anantapur. The government is holding consultations with all the bankers to credit the loan waiver amount at a time for the benefit of farmers in the State.

So far the government has waived loans to the tune of Rs 11,500 crore and credited the amount to the farmers’ accounts. The remaining amount of the loan waiver will also be credited in bank accounts, he added.

The Minister said the Chief Minister had announced the loan waiver to benefit the farmers in the State and about 54.9 lakh farmers derived benefit through the loan waiver scheme, he added. He said the remaining three installments would also be credited to the farmers’ accounts.

The Minister said that the palm oil farmers who incurred losses during last year (between October and December) will get a compensation of Rs 2,000 soon.

The compensation will apply to the farmers who incurred a loss by selling the oil palm at Rs 5,700 per tonne during the three months. He announced that the government veterinary hospital at Pedakadimi village will be upgraded.

Government Whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar requested the Minister to sanction a cold storage unit to the agriculture marketing committee at Denduluru. Eluru MP Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Babu) said the government has implemented the loan waiver scheme to all the farmers and it is not correct on the part of Opposition Leader Jagan to create hurdles for the development. District Collector K Bhaskar said farmers’ loans to the tune of Rs 1,700 crore were waived off in the district.

Already Rs 960 crore has been credited to the accounts of the farmers and remaining Rs 680 crore will be credited in three phases. He said that the district stood in first place in supplying power to 100 per cent houses.

Agriculture Joint Director Sai Lakshmeswari, mandal presidents Sravani, Pappu Suseela, ZPTC member Sakku Kumari, Agriculture Market Committee Chairman Maganti Surendranath Chowdary and others participated in the programme. Earlier, the Minister distributed loan waiver certificates to farmers.