NIZAMABAD: The turmeric farmers’ agitation for better prices for their produce will soon be under the national spotlight. As many as 50 turmeric farmers, believed to be supporters of the ruling TRS, plan to file mass nominations for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat — from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election — just as they did for the election to the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat. They said their protest is aimed at highlighting the Centre’s callousness in heeding their demand for better prices and providing MSP for turmeric.
The turmeric farmers plan to organise the novel protest under the banner of the District Turmeric Farmers Association, and will officially announce their decision at Armoor on Wednesday. They have invited farmers of other states to join them in filing nomination papers for Varanasi. As of now, about 50 farmers are preparing to leave for Varanasi.
For several years, farmers have been demanding the setting up of a Turmeric Board and Minimum Support Price. Their decision was apparently in response to a call given by Nizamabad’s MP K Kavitha to go in for mass nominations to make the Centre take notice of their demands. “We want to take up the movement once again at the national level,” said District Turmeric Farmers Association President P Thirupathi Reddy, adding that they had nothing to do with TRS.