MSP for Sunflower: Harish Rao writes to Thummala

Though the government had announced a support price of Rs 6,760 per quintal, the farmers were forced to sell their produce at Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per quintal

Hyderabad: MLA and former Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday requested Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageshwar Rao to take steps to ensure a fair deal for the farmers of sunflower in the State. In an open letter addressed to the Minister, he stated that the farmers who cultivated Sunflower were finding it difficult to get support price.

Though the government had announced a support price of Rs 6,760 per quintal, the farmers were forced to sell their produce at Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per quintal. They were losing by about Rs 2000 per quintal. The BRS government had gone to the rescue of the Sunflower farmers by purchasing their produce offering the minimum support price. He wanted steps to be taken to protect the interest of the farmers.

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State to commence sunflower purchases from Friday

Responding to the open letter written by BRS leader T Harish Rao seeking procurement of sunflower from farmers offering Minimum Support Price (MSP), Agriculture and Marketing Minister Thummala Nageshwar Rao ordered officials of the Markfed and the Marketing Department to open purchase centres in the agriculture marketyards wherever required from Friday. He also appealed to the farmers not to resort to any distress sale. There is no need for selling the produce at anything less than the MSP of Rs 6,760 per quintal, he said.

The sunflower harvest operations were off to a good start in almost all the districts.