4 days ago
US tariff issue: Aqua farmers assured of resolution
Bhimavaram: Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivas Varma on Monday assured aqua farmers that the central and state governments prioritise their welfare, and a solution to the US tariff problem is likely to be found soon.
The minister made these remarks after a meeting in Bhimavaram, where aqua farmers from the West Godavari district voiced their concerns about the steep drop in prawn prices following a 50% tariff imposed by the US on Indian aqua products.
During the meeting, organised by the West Godavari Prawn Farmers Welfare Association at the BJP district office, farmers submitted a memorandum detailing their struggles. Minister Srinivasa Varma, recalling his own experience of losing Rs 4 crore in prawn farming, said he directly understands their hardships.
He said that the aqua sector is a significant source of employment in the state and that any harm to it would adversely affect other sectors. He stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has become the world's fourth-largest economy and is no longer in a position to be pressured by other nations. He assured the farmers that protecting their interests is the government's primary objective during this challenging time and promised to work towards a resolution. Srinivasa Varma expressed commitment to bringing key issues to the attention of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, including providing subsidised power to aqua farmers regardless of the zone and ensuring the supply of feed at lower costs.
He also promised to arrange a meeting between the state leaders and the aqua farmers. Additionally, he said he would meet with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to request necessary assistance. The minister expressed optimism that the US tariffs are temporary and may be withdrawn soon.
The minister also mentioned his and Kaikaluru MLA Kamineni Srinivas's crucial role in filing a case in the Supreme Court to resolve the issues faced by Kolleru farmers. He noted that a CEC team recently visited Kolleru to gather feedback from farmers and expressed hope for a swift resolution to that problem as well. N Gajapathi Raju, GV Subba Raju, Thota Vijay Kumar, Pernicherla Subhash Raju, Panja Venkateswara Rao, Kalidindi Vinod Varma, and others participated in the meeting.
