VIJAYAWADA: BJP national secretary Y Satya Kumar met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and requested him to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for Bengal gram as majority of it is sown in Rayalaseema districts, which are severely hit by drought. He also drew the minister’s attention to the pending insurance claims of the farmers from Kadapa district and urged him to resolve the issue soon.
Handing over a representation in New Delhi on Tuesday, a delegation of BJP State leaders led by Satya Kumar said that 92 per cent of Bengal gram is sown in Kurnool, Prakasam, Kadapa, Anantapur and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh. “The average yield of the crop is 1,150 kg per hectare, while the farmers are spending `39,400 per hectare. As per the current MSP or `4,400 per quintal, the total income per hectare is `50,600. The `11,200 net benefit to the farmer is unsustainable,” the representation said.