. SRINIVAS SPL Correspondent
Amalapuram- Indian News Times- Gottimukkala Gandhi Bhagavan Raju, President of the State Aqua Farmers' Association, emphasized the urgent need to agitate against the volatile price hikes that are pushing farmers dependent on the aquaculture sector into a quagmire of losses. He called for a boycott of feed purchases from companies unless a favorable decision is reached by the end of the month; furthermore, he urged farmers to complete the current crop cycle and observe a "crop holiday" (refraining from cultivation) next year. The "Aqua Farmers' Struggle for Survival" meeting—held on Monday in Amalapuram, Ambedkar Konaseema district, as part of the "Chalo Amalapuram" campaign—was a resounding success. Aqua farmers and association leaders from across the state, spanning from Nellore to Srikakulam, turned out in massive numbers for the event.
Earlier, a large number of aqua farmers marched from Peruru Y-Junction to the meeting venue, raising slogans along the way. Leaders from across the state participated and addressed the gathering, which was presided over by Dendukuri Satthibabu Raju, President of the Ambedkar Konaseema District Aqua Farmers' Association. Speaking on the occasion, State President Gandhi Bhagavan Raju stated that aqua farmers are being exploited at every stage—from the seed phase and harvest to the final export of shrimp. He noted that despite stable prices in the international market, farmers are forced to sell their produce at low rates, and he called for the implementation of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) to ensure fairness. He pointed out the unfortunate reality that, despite the existence of the APSADA Act, its benefits do not reach the farmers. He urged the government to take the initiative to eradicate the syndicates and middlemen systems that have entrenched themselves in the aqua sector. He suggested that if these issues remain unresolved, all farmers should declare a 'crop holiday' and refrain from cultivation after March of next year, asserting that a crop holiday is the only solution to address the farmers' grievances. Tsavatapalli Nagabhushanam, State Secretary of the Aqua Farmers' Association, stated that aqua farmers are struggling for survival amidst a series of losses. He likened their plight to that of a soldier fighting bravely in the face of death while defending the nation; similarly, aqua farmers continue cultivation despite being mired in a quagmire of financial losses. He demanded the elimination of the syndicate system in the sector and called for the stabilization of aqua feed prices, which have become an excessive burden.
Several resolutions addressing the challenges faced by farmers in the aquaculture sector were passed. These resolutions included an ultimatum to ban feed companies if they fail to reduce prices after the 30th; a demand to remove the power factor clause in GO 57; a call to immediately implement electricity subsidies for the 12,500 connections promised during the elections and to allow time to rectify any existing discrepancies; a request to resolve price instability and maintain previous pricing variations; and a demand to ensure stable market rates are implemented every ten days. Edari Yashwant Kumar, Joint Secretary Mudunuri Srihari Varma, Datla Pruthviraju, Alluri Ramesh Raju, Yalla Venkatanandam, Kakarla Vinayakam, Medidi John David Raju, Chilikani Suryarao, Kotikalapudi Krishnashree, Bose Raju, Koppula Satthibabu, and others participated in this meeting.
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