Aqua Farmers Looted Under Chandrababu Rule: YS Jagan
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Slams Chandrababu Naidu Over Aqua Feed Price Hike
Aqua Feed Price Row: YS Jagan Warns of Protests Against Chandrababu Govt
AP former CM and YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu over the recent hike in aqua feed prices, alleging collusion between the government and aqua feed companies.
Taking to X, YS Jagan accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led government of enabling the “looting” of aqua farmers and weakening the systems established during the previous YSRCP regime to protect the aquaculture sector.
Jagan questioned how aqua feed companies could increase prices without the knowledge or approval of the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA), which functions under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister.
“Under your governance, no sector has been spared from exploitation. In the case of aqua feed prices too, you have colluded with the aqua feed companies and are enabling the looting of aqua farmers,” Jagan said in his post on X.
He further alleged that the regulatory mechanisms introduced by the YSRCP government to curb syndicates, middlemen and exploitative practices had been deliberately weakened after the TDP-led government assumed office.
According to Jagan, the previous government had enacted laws to regulate seed and feed quality standards, control prices and determine prices for aqua products through APSADA. He also claimed that the YSRCP government supplied electricity to aqua farmers at Rs. 1.50 per unit and extended multiple forms of support to the sector.
The former Chief Minister alleged that all those support systems were dismantled after the present government came to power, resulting in severe distress for aqua farmers. He also criticised the government for allegedly remaining silent when aqua product prices crashed during the first year of the current administration, causing heavy losses to farmers.
Accusing the government of backing the feed price hikes, Jagan said describing the increase as temporary would not solve the issue and demanded a complete rollback of the revised prices.
Warning of protests, he stated that the YSRCP would launch agitations along with aqua farmers if the government failed to withdraw the hike in feed prices.
