India: YSRC Bats for Tobacco Growers, Stalls Auctions

Source from:  The Hindu 07/15/2015

Activists of the YSR Congress on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of the tobacco auction platforms in Prakasam district in support of the growers struggling to get a remunerative price for their produce.

The auction process was stalled in between in Ongole I, Kondepi, Tangutur I and II auction platforms following the protest.

Leading a 'mahadharna' at Podili, near here, YSR Congress MP and party Whip in Parliament Y. V. Subba Reddy pressed for market intervention by the Central and State government agencies including the Tobacco Board, State Trading Corporation and Tobacco Growers and Curers' Cooperative Marketing Society Limited.

"We will step up the stir till the Centre and the State agencies intervene in the market," Mr. Subba Reddy said, adding that the Centre should facilitate direct participation of international tobacco merchants in auctions and also allow foreign direct investment in the tobacco sector to overcome the crisis, he said. YSR Congress activists led by YSRC farmers wing district convener Mareddy Subba Reddy demanded that the Tobacco Board bail out growers saddled with 112.52 million kg stock.

The Centre should pay a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each to farmers who wanted to dismantle tobacco barns, said party State official spokesman Bathula Brahmanada Reddy.

Farmers realised an average price of Rs. 97.19 per kg for 100 bales marketed in Ongole I auction platform on Tuesday with the price for bright grade ruling at Rs. 125 per kg, medium grade at Rs. 95 per kg and low grade at Rs. 61 per kg, said auction superintendent R. Subba Rao. Enditem