VIJAYAWADA: An empowered committee of ministers, headed by Minister for Energy, Forest, Science and Technology Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, directed officials to take measures to ensure support price for aquaculture products in the State.
Taking stock of the implementation of the decision taken in the first meeting of the committee held on October 12, the ministers – Peddireddy, Botcha Satyanarayana and Seediri Appalaraju – said 1.75 lakh farmers are cultivating aquaculture in 4 lakh acres in the State and to ensure remunerative prices for their products, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had constituted the empowered committee.
Stating that aqua farmers are suffering due to unrestrained hike in the cost of aqua feed and decrease in aqua product prices, the committee stressed the need for stabilising the situation by regulating aqua feed and aqua products prices. A scientific pricing system for aqua products should be evolved with the help of MPEDA to safeguard the interests of aqua farmers, it said.
Officials explained the measures taken by them, including holding meetings with aqua farmers, aqua feed manufacturers and sellers, processing plant managements to ensure better prices for aqua products.