Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu. | Photo Credit: Photo File
Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu said farmers are benefiting from record crop prices for chillies and palm oil this season, crediting timely policy decisions taken by the coalition government.
Addressing the media on Thursday, he recalled that chilli farmers faced a severe slump in prices last year, prompting the government to intervene through consultation with the Center and announce a market intervention price to stabilize rates.
He said the situation has improved significantly this year due to crop diversification by farmers and proactive government measures, resulting in stable and profitable prices.
Chilli cultivation is widespread in Palnadu, Kurnool, Prakasam, Anantapur, NTR, Nandyal, Guntur and Bapatla districts. During the current season, prices have increased to ₹15,000-19,500 per quintal compared to ₹12,500-13,500 last year.
The minister said quality improvement through integrated pest and nutrient management, farmer training and collaboration with Digital Green and ITC helped increase market value.
Mr. Atchannaidu also highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s leadership in oil palm cultivation, with nearly 1.97 million farmers cultivating the crop on over 2.49 million hectares. The average price of fresh fruit grapes reached ₹ 19,579 per MT, the highest in a decade, following the enforcement of oil recovery ratio norms. More than ₹ 13,425 crore has been directly released to farmers so far, he said.
He criticized former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and claimed that negative statements during the fall in prices further unsettled the markets. He claimed that the coalition government had restored farmers’ confidence through assured prices, support for drip irrigation and long-term crop planning under the Purvodaya initiative.
Published – 22 Jan 2026 20:55 IST
