Amaravati, May 14 (PTI) YSRCP leader K Nageswara Rao on Wednesday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of "abandoning" tenant farmers ahead of the Kharif season.

The former minister stated that over 32 lakh tenant farmers, nearly 80 per cent of Andhra's agricultural workforce, are allegedly suffering due to the cancellation of tenant cards and the withdrawal of vital support.

Also Read | Waqf Amendment Act Hearing in Supreme Court: CJI BR Gavai-Led Bench to Hear Pleas Against Waqf Act on May 15.

"Naidu's focus is on Amaravati, not on farmers," said Rao in a release, claiming that tenant farmers now rely on private loans with up to five per cent interest, plunging deeper into debt.

During the tenure of former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, 26 lakh farmers received tenant cards, and over Rs 8,300 crore in crop loans were extended, benefiting seven lakh tenant farmers, said Rao.

Also Read | KEAM Result 2025 Out at cee.kerala.gov.in: CEE Kerala Releases Engineering and Pharmacy Exam Results, Know Steps To Check Scorecards.

Additionally, over Rs 752 crore was provided as investment support to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), and minority farmers, while insurance and compensation schemes protected lakhs of farmers, he asserted.

The former YSRCP government also procured damaged crops, bought rain-soaked paddy, and stabilized tobacco prices with Rs 500 crore through Markfed, said Rao in the release.

A P Markfed (Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd), is a federation of Marketing Cooperative Societies in the district with the main object of helping the farmers to secure better price for their produce by taking care of their market needs and providing agricultural inputs.

Now, the Crop Cultivator Rights Card (CCRC) process has allegedly been stalled, the Annadata Sukheebhava (financial assistance to farmers) scheme has been ignored, and farmers lack investment aid, facing mounting losses as the Kharif season nears, Rao alleged.

He also claimed that tobacco prices have crashed, with companies rejecting produce, while farmers face losses on 80,000 acres of Burley tobacco.

Rao urged immediate procurement through the Tobacco Board and called on Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan to seek the Centre's help for relief to distressed farmers.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)