Amaravati, March 27 Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday appealed to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan to implement the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme for maize through NAFED and AP Markfed to protect farmers from distress sales.
Naidu noted that a surplus of maize has pushed prices below the Minimum Support Price and warned that prices may fall further during the peak arrival period.
“In this context, farmers are at risk of distress sales, which could severely impact their livelihoods. Considering the above situation, there is an urgent need for timely intervention to stabilise prices and protect the interests of the farming community,” Naidu said in a letter to Chouhan.
Appealing for special consideration for the state, he requested that farmers be compensated for the difference between the MSP and market rates, with 100 per cent of the loss to be borne by the Government of India.
Naidu also sought an increase in coverage for maize under the scheme from 25 per cent to 100 per cent of production and requested permission to implement the program until June 2026.
He highlighted that maize is primarily grown in Andhra Pradesh, with nearly five lakh acres sown in the Rabi season, potentially yielding up to 38 lakh tons of produce.