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India Gazette
13 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Union Minister Piyush Goyal offers prayers at Tirumala temple
Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 16 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal, accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Ministers Anagani Satya Prasad and TG Bharat, visited the sacred hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala and offered prayers on Monday. The visit came days after Goyal marked his birthday on June 13. The Minister expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to seek blessings from Lord Balaji. 'It is my great fortune that on my birthday today, I got an opportunity to offer prayers before Lord Balaji. I come here each year to pray to Tirupati Balaji and take his blessings to work for the country. I seek his blessings for a good future for every citizen of India,' Goyal said after the darshan. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Goyal also met with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to discuss issues affecting farmers in the state, particularly those cultivating commercial crops and involved in the aqua sector. The Union Minister was on an official visit to the state. Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was a key ally in the NDA government at the Centre. The meeting covered key issues, including HD Burley tobacco procurement, import duties on crude palm oil, tariffs imposed by the United States on aqua exports, and GST on mango pulp, according to a statement by Andhra Pradesh's Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR). CM Naidu explained the on-ground realities and hardships faced by farmers in the state and highlighted the steps that the state government was taking. He appealed for central support to address these challenges. The Chief Minister informed the Union Minister that farmers cultivating HD Burley and White Burley tobacco had been facing severe price drops this season. To address this, the state government had already initiated procurement efforts. CM Naidu stated that a plan had been put in place to procure 20 million kilograms of tobacco at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Seven procurement centres had been established in Bapatla, Guntur, Palnadu, and Prakasam districts through the AP MARKFED. The Chief Minister requested Rs 150 crore from the Tobacco Board to support the initiative. He also noted that the area under tobacco cultivation had increased to 1.31 lakh hectares this year compared to the previous season. With international demand declining, farmers are reportedly incurring significant losses. CM Naidu urged the Centre to amend the law to bring tobacco production and marketing entirely under the purview of the Tobacco Board. (ANI)
New Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Andhra Government launches Price Support Scheme
VIJAYAWADA: The State government has launched a Price Support Scheme to procure Jowar at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,371 per quintal for the Rabi 2024–25 season, aiming to prevent distress sales by farmers as market prices are expected to fall. The scheme, initiated on Wednesday, will be implemented by Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Marketing Federation Limited (AP MARKFED), the State's nodal agency. Procurement began on April 20, 2024, and will continue until June 20, 2025, covering farmers registered on the eCrop portal through centres at Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) across districts. According to AP MARKFED, Jowar is cultivated across 69,763 hectares in the State, with an estimated production of 2,77,080 MT. The government has initially approved procurement of 10% of the expected yield—about 27,708 MT—backed by a Rs 40 crore loan from the Price Stabilisation Fund. Depending on market conditions, the agency may procure up to 25% of total production (69,270 MT), subject to further approvals. Procurement operations will be supported by District Cooperative Marketing Societies, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producer Organisations, and Village Organisations. District-level committees, led by Joint Collectors (RBK & R), will oversee logistics, rate fixation for transport and handling, and monitor execution. To ensure smooth operations, centres will be equipped with essential infrastructure including tarpaulins, moisture metres, dryers, sieves, stitching machines, and weighing scales. Payments will be made directly to farmers via Aadhaar-based online transactions through the CM APP. Warehousing and storage will be handled by Central and State Warehousing Corporations, with strict adherence to Fair Average Quality (FAQ) standards. AP MARKFED will earn a 2.5% commission on procurement. The State government has directed district collectors to ensure logistical support and public awareness of the scheme. Post-procurement, AP MARKFED is responsible for timely disposal of Jowar stocks to minimise losses, with final accounts to be submitted following statutory audits.
