Agri-dependent population fell by 20% under Jagan rule: Yanamala
Meters on motors hang like a noose around farmer’s necks
AMARAVATI: TDP former Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Sunday held the Jaganmohan Reddy Government’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies responsible for the deepening crisis and steep fall in agricultural growth rate in the State.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu expressed concern that both agriculture and its allied sectors were caught in a steep crisis. As a result, the percentage of population dependent on agriculture fell from 70 percent to 50 percent, which was an alarming fall of -20 percent. All round problems have made the lives of cultivators very difficult to lead in Andhra Pradesh. They were getting stuck in debts and losses. The growth rate also went down by over -4.9 percent under the Jagan Reddy rule.
In a statement here, the Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council said that the agriculture and allied sectors recorded double digit growth under the Chandrababu regime. It touched 10.5 percent during 2017-`18 and 2018-`19. Whereas, the growth rate came down to 6.04 percent under the YSRCP rule, which was a fall by -4.9 percent when compared to the previous regime. Aquaculture growth rate fell from 27.4 percent to 6.9 percent under the present rule, which was a fall by -20.5 percent. Horticulture growth rate was 17.7 percent during the Chandrababu rule and it fell to just 4.4 percent under the Jagan rule, a fall by -6.9 percent.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu said that there was no growth even in the animal husbandry development. There was a downtrend going on in the development of industries and services relating to agriculture and allied sectors. This was having an adverse impact on the creation of work opportunities in these sectors. There were no remunerative prices to the crops at the end of the season. The farmers were not getting returns for their hard work, sweat and blood. As a result, the production of foodgrain came down drastically in AP, which fell by 3 percent in 2020-`21 when compared to 2019-`20.
The TDP leader deplored that the fixing of meters on agricultural motors would amount to hanging a noose round the necks of farmers. Payments were not being made in time to the crops purchased from the farmers. The farmers were stuck in debts as their payments were kept pending for six to nine months. Food inflation was recorded at an alarming 12.5 percent. The farmers were declaring crop holidays all over the State due to the indifferent policies of the Government and rising costs of cultivation. Export of agriculture allied sector produce came down steeply.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu accused the Jagan Government of failing to rescue the farmers who suffered heavy losses during the natural calamities. The TDP fully implemented the crop insurance and input subsidy schemes, which were undermined by the present rulers. Not a single food processing industry came to AP in the past two and half years. Whereas, the CM was acting like an ambassador to Gujarat Amul. Downtrend in agriculture and lack of work opportunities was causing a rise in migration. The reverse rule of Jagan Reddy had crushed the AP people financially and pushed the State into a retrogressive mode.
The TDP leader said that the aqua farmers in Coastal region and horticulture farmers in Rayalaseema region were incurring heavy losses. Even the subsidies on drip and agricultural implements were cancelled under the present regime.
