Hyderabad: Farmers Commission Chairman Kodanda Reddy has raised concerns about the National Marketing Policy, claiming it benefits large corporations. He warned that if this policy is implemented, it could lead to job losses and reduce the state government’s revenue by ₹1,000 crore every year.
On Thursday, Kodanda Reddy held an emergency meeting with officials from different departments. He pointed out that farmers have been selling their produce through a specific system for decades. He also noted that whenever the Congress party is in power, it introduces reforms to support farmers. Reddy criticized the Modi government for previously introducing three “anti-farmer” laws, which were later withdrawn after strong protests from farmers. He alleged that the National Marketing Policy is another attempt to harm farmers in a similar way.
According to Reddy, the central government is trying to privatize the agricultural marketing system through a new policy framework. To discuss this issue, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission held a meeting at BRK Bhavan.
Several key officials and leaders attended the meeting, including Farmers Commission members KVN Reddy, Bhavani Reddy, Gadugu Gangadhar, and Bhumi Sunil. Others present were Fisheries Corporation Chairman Mettu Sai Kumar and market committee chairpersons from Gaddi Annaram and Malakpet, among others. The meeting involved detailed discussions with officials from the Agriculture, Marketing, and Civil Supply departments, as well as representatives from farmers’ associations and NGOs.
