Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday instructed officials of the Consumer Affairs and Civil Supplies Department and Markfed to procure chilli and turmeric till the month-end and to ensure that the stipulated MSP is paid to the farmers.
At a review meeting on the activities of the Marketing Department at his office at the Secretariat at Velagapudi near here, Mr. Naidu said a permanent action plan for paying remunerative prices to the farmers has to be devised as paying the additional price during the times of distress would only be a temporary measure.
Officials told the CM that 1,74,474 quintals of turmeric and 4,77,425 quintals of chilli crop have been purchased in the procurement centres opened recently. The government paid ₹110 crore and ₹71 crore towards support prices of turmeric and chilli. Mr. Naidu said cold storage should be built to cater to farmers’ needs.
