AP CM to write letter to PM on MSP for paddy

Hyderabad, May 20 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to announce an additional Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 100 per quintal for paddy to help the farmers.

In a review meeting with the Agriculture Ministry officials here today, he said the farmers' investments and expenditures on agriculture had increased due to the increase in prices of agricultural inputs.

Dr Reddy said the Centre had announced an additional MSP of Rs 100 per quintal of wheat to help the farmers in the northern States and urged the Centre to announce the same for paddy to help the farmers of Andhra Pradesh.

During Kharif season, the paddy cultivation would be carried out in an extent of 22.77 lakh hectare and in Rabi season it would be in 13.15 lakh hectare. While the paddy production in 2004-05 during both the seasons was 96 lakh tonnes, it was 132 lakh tonnes in 2005-06 and 140 lakh tonnes in 2006-07, he said.

Dr Reddy said the State Government had created best marketing facilities in the State and announced a bonus of Rs 40 along with the MSP during the Kharif season in 2006-07.

He claimed that suicide rate among farmers had come down in the State due to various welfare measures implemented by his Government.

UNI