AIKS demands hike in Subabul, Eucalyptus price

Vijayawada, July 28 (UNI) The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) today demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Government protect the farmers by increasing the minimum support price of Subabul to Rs 1,850 per tonne and Eucalyptus to Rs 2,000 per tonne.

Addressing a press conference here, AIKS Vice-President Kolli Nageswara Rao said that though an agreement was reached with the State Government to increase the price of Subabul to Rs 1,600 and Eucalyptus to Rs 1,750 two years ago, the State Government should do a rethink and increase the prices of these two crops as the inflation had touched nearly 12 per cent.

He said about ten lakh farmers in the State were eking out their livelihood by growing Subabul and Eucalyptus crops.

In 1991, the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh had reduced agriculture subsidies following pressure from the World Bank, Mr Rao alleged and said the agriculture prices had alarmingly increased and the income had come down, leading to some ryots committing suicides and others switching to commercial crops.

The AIKS would conduct 'Rythu Saddasulu' on July 30 at Vinukonda and on August three at Narasaraopeta to create an awareness among the farmers on the price rise issue, he added.

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