Farmers stage protest in Ongole, seek funds for tobacco procurement

On Monday, members of the Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Association staged a protest outside Prakasam Bhavan in Ongole, demanding the government immediately procure tobacco at a remunerative price. Association President Vadde Hanuma Reddy told reporters, "The protest was organized to demand that the government address various issues faced by farmers and tenant farmers."

He highlighted that Bengal gram, produced by district farmers, had been rotting in cold storage for two years due to a lack of a good market price. Reddy also noted that tobacco prices had dropped this year, leaving farmers with losses of up to ₹7 lakh per barn. The farmers and their associations have repeatedly warned the government about the severity of the issue.

Reddy claimed that the ₹80,000 crore revenue generated by the Central and State governments is more than enough to allocate ₹1,000 crore for tobacco procurement. However, he criticized the government's recent relief package, stating it would not offer farmers any real benefit. The farmers' body pushed for immediate allocation of ₹1,000 crore for tobacco procurement and funding to complete pending works on the Gundlakamma project, ensuring irrigation water reaches canals.