Farmers leaders demand setting up of mango board in Chittoor district

Chittoor: District Farmers Forum Chief K Jayachandra Choudary demanded the State government to constitute Mango Board immediately to protect the interests of the farmers in Chittoor district.

The Government should also take an appropriate decision for reopening the Chittoor Cooperative Dairy as well as Chittoor Sugar factory without delay, he urged. In response to the call given by the District Farmers’ United Forum, farmers across the district staged dharna at the Collectorate here on Monday highlighting their grievances.

Addressing the agitating farmers, Jayachandra Choudary reiterated that there was no need for the farmers for waiving of loans in any form. The drought relief measures during drought conditions would help the farmers. Farmers need help only to continue their farming activities. He regretted that there was no the needed cooperation among the farmers to exert pressure on the Government.

He stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should take immediate steps for constituting Mango Board in Chittoor with immediate effect .During the last three years , the private fruit processing units in the district played a key role in dictating the price for mango produce .

The farmers were forced to sell mango fruits at Rs.4 per kg to the processing units. A large number of mango farmers are in deplarable condition as they incur losses due to lack of demand. He demanded minimum support price for mangoes.

District CPM Secretary Kamar Reddy demanded the Government to resume all defunct cooperative sugar factories and dairies in the district. Farmers’ Union leaders A S Mahohar, Nageswara Raj, Krishna Reddy, and others spoke.