6 months ago
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Cocoa farmers nether the banner of Andhra Pradesh Cocoa Farmers’ Association staged a protestation successful beforehand of the Eluru Collectorate connected Monday, demanding that cocoa beans beryllium procured astatine planetary marketplace prices and urged the State authorities to denote a wide terms argumentation for the crop.
The farmers besides called for the contiguous constitution of a State Cocoa Board and the constitution of a Central Cocoa Research Centre to code long-standing issues faced by cocoa growers successful Andhra Pradesh.
As portion of the protest, the farmers organised a corporate practice programme and submitted memoranda to the District Revenue Officer during the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) league astatine the Collectorate.
Addressing the gathering, relation State honorary president S. Gopalakrishna, State president Bollu Ramakrishna, State wide caput K. Srinivas, vice-presidents Parvathaneni Subrahmanyeswara Rao and Panuganti Achyutaramaiah, and adjunct wide caput Gudibandi Veerareddy alleged that cocoa procurement companies were failing to connection just prices to farmers contempt the commencement of the buying season.
They pointed retired that successful the lack of a government-declared terms policy, backstage companies were acting arbitrarily, causing important fiscal distress to farmers. The leaders recalled that the State authorities had successful 2025 promised to denote a terms look aligned with planetary marketplace rates, but the assurance had not been implemented yet.
According to the association, cocoa beans are presently priced astatine implicit ₹550 per kg successful the planetary market, portion companies successful the State are procuring them astatine astir ₹400 per kg. They alleged that companies were operating successful a syndicate-like mode and exploiting farmers owed to the deficiency of regulatory oversight.
The speakers besides highlighted that cocoa-producing countries specified arsenic Ghana and Ivory Coast were presently successful the off-season, yet prices prevailing during their highest play were being cited successful planetary markets. They demanded that the State guarantee farmers person equivalent benefits.
The farmers further raised concerns implicit debased import duties connected overseas cocoa beans and cocoa-based products, which they said were flooding the home marketplace and adversely impacting Indian cocoa growers. They urged the Central authorities to instantly summation import duties to support home farmers.
Warning of intensified agitation if their demands were ignored, the relation leaders said they would mobilise cocoa farmers crossed the State for larger protests.
