‘Crop Holiday’ – A Big Threat To Jagan Govt?

YCP likely to The crop holiday declared by the farmers from many districts in Andhra Pradesh has become a hot topic for discussion in the political circles as farmers in other regions are also following suit. Most of the farmers from Godavari districts had declared crop holiday following delay in payment for the crop bought from them by the government and the flash rains that damaged the standing crop.

The farmers also rued that they were incurring losses due to the increasing cost of cultivation and the untimely rains. They also faulted the authorities for failing to desilt the major and minor drains. It is significant to note that farmers took this decision, irrespective of political affiliations. The farmers suffered heavy loss after water entered their fields in last kharif and rabi. The silt is flowing into the fields and making them uncultivable, complained the farmers.

Now, the farmers under the KC-canal ayacut in Kadapa district too declared crop holiday. Political experts feel that the extension of crop holiday can prove harmful to the YCP government. Ahead of the elections, this can damage the image of the ruling party very badly, they said.

Meanwhile, the TDP leaders criticized the YCP government for claiming to be dedicated to the welfare of the farmers but doing nothing practically. Is this the Rythu Bharosa being provided by the state government, asked the TDP leaders. They slammed Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to do good to farmers in his own district. The Opposiitons alleged that the government had not paid the farmers their dues even after six months of buying their crop and it even stopped giving subsidies, the TDP leaders pointed out. The less we speak of the minimum support price, the better, they felt.

To this, the YCP leaders said that the TDP leaders were unnecessarily making an issue of the crop holiday. The TDP is behind the crop holiday declared by the farmers in Konaseema and Kadapa, they alleged. Sincere farmers should reject crop holiday and cultivate their land as Godavari water has been released in the first week of June itself, transport minister Pinipe Swaroop said. In fact, the farmers can grow three crops as there is abundant water available. He suggested that the farmers stop listening to the TDP leaders and begin preparing their fields for cultivation.