Rising input costs, cheap imports squeezing farmers’ livelihoods: YSRCP’s Nagi Reddy

YSRCP's Nagi Reddy warns of farmers' financial distress due to high input costs and cheap imports threatening agricultural viability.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) general secretary M.V.S. Nagireddy has raised serious concerns over the growing financial stress on farmers, pointing to high input costs and unchecked agricultural imports as major threats to their survival.

In a press release on Tuesday (March 3, 2026), Mr. Nagi Reddy highlighted the pricing of green manure mixed seed supplied by the National Seed Corporation, he stated that a 4kg pack is being sold at ₹700, which translates to ₹17,500 per 100 kg, or ₹175 per kg. He noted that green manure seed is an essential input that farmers must purchase to improve soil fertility, and such high prices are adding to cultivation costs.

In contrast, he observed that most pulses produced by farmers are not being sold above ₹8,000 per 100 kg, which works out to around ₹80 per kg. “When essential farm inputs cost more than double the price farmers receive for their produce, how can farming remain viable?” he questioned.

Referring to repeated assurances of doubling farmers’ incomes, Mr. Reddy said that real income growth is possible only when farmers are able to sell their produce at remunerative prices. He pointed out that crops such as pulses, maize, soybean, and cotton are often sold below even the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and in some cases without effective procurement support.

He further expressed concern that agricultural imports are being permitted without adequately safeguarding domestic producers. According to him, whenever agricultural commodities are imported, the landed cost in India should be at least 10% higher than the MSP announced by the government. “This is a basic protective principle. Ignoring it is pushing our own farmers into economic distress,” he said.

Mr. Reddy urged policymakers, economists, and responsible stakeholders to seriously deliberate on the issue and evolve measures that ensure fair returns to farmers, warning that continued neglect could endanger the sustainability of Indian agriculture.