A.P. govt. will aid aqua farmers hit by U.S. tariff hike, says Minister

Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Minister pledges government support for aqua farmers affected by U.S. tariffs, coordinating with stakeholders for solutions.

Fisheries Minister K. Atchannaidu has said the government will come to the rescue of aqua farmers in the State who have been badly hit by the tariffs announced by the U.S. President, Donald Trump.

“The State government is thinking of ways to bail out the farmers from losses. We have already written a letter to the Centre on the impact of the U.S. tariff hike,” Mr. Atchannaidu told the media here on Monday.

The Minister, along with Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, MLAs Gadde Rammohan Rao and V. Narendra Varma and officers of the Fisheries Department and MPEDA discussed the ‘U.S. tariff hike and its impact on Indian seafood’, at a meeting with stakeholders here.

“Reciprocal tariff announced by the U.S. President has impacted all Indian products. But seafood exports contribute a major share in the GDP of the State. The Government is keen on helping the aqua farmers during the crisis, which cannot be solved immediately. We are thinking of alternative measures to rescue the farmers,” the Minister said and stressed the need for coordination among the stakeholders in aquaculture.

Mr. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju advised the exporters not to stop procurement of stocks and cause suffering to the shrimp and fish farmers.

He asked the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA) Co-Vice-Chairman Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy to focus on registration of aqua farms, which would help the farmers avail themselves of government subsidies.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu gave an assurance to offer ₹1.50 paise per unit subsidy on power to all registered aqua farmers in the State, the Minister said and asked the union leaders to stand by the farmers in these difficult times.