Members of Andhra Pradesh Emu Bird Rearer Victims’ Association on Friday demanded that the government should extend loan waiver facility to the farmers who suffered losses in Emu farming.
At a press conference here, Association working president K. Venkata Raju said 400 farmers in AP and Telangana had taken up Emu farming after NABARD promoted it on a large scale.
The farmers are caught in a debt trap after suffering losses due to poor marketing avenues. Some of them mortgaged their properties for making investments in the farming, he said. “We have been requesting the Central and State governments to render justice to us by waiving off loans but nothing concrete has been done till date,” Mr. Raju said.
He added that if the government failed to initiate measures to waive off loans, then farmers would go for a relay fast in district headquarters.
Holding placards, association members took out a rally from the office of the Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry to M.G. Road to highlight their demand.
Farmers warn hunger strike, if demands are not conceded
