Cashew farmers demand ‘concrete guarantees’ on MSP from all political parties ahead of polls

More than 50,000 cashew farmers have been left behind in Srikakulam as several political parties have failed to provide concrete assurances on announcing minimum support price (MSP) or setting up a Cashew Board and Cashew Development Corporation similar to the previous government. is likely to play a vital role in the political climate of the world. kerala and other states.

Cashew nuts are grown annually in nearly 100,000 acres in Uddanam area of ​​Srikakulam district. However, farmers are dissatisfied with the lack of MSP on their produce. Currently, middlemen are buying an 80 kg bag of cashew nuts for around Rs 8,500, while farmers are demanding MSP 16,000 for the same quantity.

Thepara Ajay Kumar, state president of Andhra Pradesh Cashew Farmers’ Association, called on voters to use this election to seek guarantee from all political parties on MSP. “Despite finished cashew nuts being sold at ₹600 per kg in the market, cashew traders are cheating farmers by offering very low prices for their produce. “We are appealing to them to extract concrete guarantees when they come to demand votes.”

“The government should announce financial assistance of at least Rs 94,000 crore for the development of the crop under the NREGA scheme, supply quality cashew seedlings and set up cashew processing facilities in all mandals in the state. ” Kumar added.

Approximately 240 kg of raw cashew nuts are produced per acre in Uddanam region. In some cases, production can be affected by water scarcity or pest threats. Farmers who spend about ₹15,000 on each crop in maintenance and labor costs are not getting a fair price for their crops.

“Unfortunately, neither the YSR Congress Party nor the Telugu Desam Party could respond to our grievances.As far as Uddanam region is concerned, farmers will vote for the party that will formulate an action plan to secure MSP for cashew nuts. ,” said A. Ramana, a farmer from Mandasa mandal in Srikakulam district.