Sat May 17 00:10:55 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu addressed the challenges faced by farmers, particularly those growing tobacco, cocoa, and chilli. He instructed officials to ensure minimum support prices for tobacco, urging companies to purchase it at fair rates. He also sought a fair price for cocoa and a comprehensive plan for its cultivation and marketing. Additionally, he called for a study on losses suffered by chilli farmers, excluding middlemen, and promoted awareness of quality standards. He also reviewed paddy procurement, noting a significant increase in the amount purchased and the payments made to farmers compared to the previous government.
**News Article:**
**Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu Vows Support for Struggling Farmers**
VIJAYAWADA – Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has taken decisive action to address the plight of farmers facing challenges with falling prices for key crops, including tobacco, cocoa, and chilli. During a review meeting on Friday, the Chief Minister expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decline in tobacco prices and directed officials to restore farmers’ confidence by guaranteeing minimum support prices.
Naidu instructed officials to ensure tobacco farmers did not incur losses and ordered immediate procurement by traders at remunerative prices. He mandated that companies like GPI and ITC purchase HD Burley tobacco at ₹12,500 per quintal, emphasizing daily monitoring of the procurement process.
The Chief Minister also addressed the cocoa sector, urging Mondelez to procure cocoa beans at a minimum price of ₹500 per kg and develop a comprehensive plan from cultivation to marketing. He emphasized the need for a specialized model similar to that used for oil palm.
For chilli farmers, Naidu ordered a study to assess losses, excluding middlemen from consideration, and promoted awareness of quality standards to meet export requirements and reduce pesticide use.
The review also covered paddy procurement. Officials reported a significant increase in paddy purchased and payments made to farmers this year compared to the previous government’s performance. 17.62 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured and ₹3,258 crore credited to farmer’s accounts during the current rabi season. The CM instructed officials to ensure purchase of all remaining paddy.
These measures highlight the Naidu administration’s commitment to supporting the agricultural sector and ensuring fair prices and sustainable practices for Andhra Pradesh’s farmers.
First Piper 