Maize Farmers Hit Hard as Fair Prices Elude Them, Suffer Massive Losses: YS Sharmila

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president YS Sharmila has expressed serious concern over the worsening condition of maize farmers in the state, stating that cultivators are facing a severe financial crisis as they are not receiving fair prices for their produce despite months of hard work.

In a statement, she alleged that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the government for maize ₹2,400 per quintal remains only on paper, while farmers are being forced to sell their produce in the open market at around ₹1,500 per quintal due to the alleged nexus between traders and middlemen. This, she said, is causing a loss of nearly ₹900 per quintal to farmers, placing an unbearable financial burden on them. She criticised the system, stating that MSP exists only in name while farmers receive no real protection.

Sharmila also attacked the coalition government, claiming that election-time promises have turned into mere “empty assurances.” She pointed out that key schemes such as the Market Intervention Scheme and Price Deficiency Payment system , which are meant to protect farmers from market fluctuations, have not been implemented effectively. According to her, the government has completely neglected farmer welfare.

Highlighting agricultural data, she noted that maize was cultivated across 4.83 lakh hectares in the state this year, yielding around 37.61 lakh metric tonnes . However, due to poor price realisation, farmers are reportedly incurring losses of up to ₹25,000 per acre , resulting in an estimated statewide loss of nearly ₹3,000 crore .

She urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to immediately respond and compensate for the losses. On behalf of the Congress party, she demanded that the government release ₹3,000 crore to support affected maize farmers without delay.