JAGTIAL: With their produce fetching better price than in the past, some turmeric farmers of Nizamabad and Jagtial districts announced their unanimous decision to support BJP MP D Arvind in the 2024 Parliamentary elections. The farmers even signed a bond paper expressing their support to Arvind, a copy of which went viral on social media.
The delighted farmers are attributing this season’s enhanced prices to the initiative taken by the BJP MP to bring a turmeric board to Nizamabad. Though the turmeric board remains a distant dream, his efforts however resulted in the Centre allotting a regional centre of the Spices Board for the district. In the past, turmeric prices used be below Rs 5,000 per quintal but it has crossed Rs 10,000 per quintal this season.
Meanwhile, members of Rythu Aikya Vedika condemned the decision of fellow farmers and urged them to not give political colour to their movement. “We will not rest until we achieve turmeric board for Nizamabad. Until then we will not support or work for any political party,” said Rythu Aikya Vedika president Pannala Thirupathi Reddy.
It may recalled in the 2019 Parliamentary elections, several farmers filed mass nominations to highlight their demand for a special turmeric board and MSP for turmeric. “We want Rs 15,000 MSP for turmeric and a special board. If any farmer goes against this demand, our movement will lose steam,” he added.