Andhra MP raises textile, aqua and tobacco sector issues with Centre

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP) leader and Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu met Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and raised several issues concerning the state’s textile, shrimp and tobacco sectors. Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu was also present during the meeting.Representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Textile Mills Association accompanied the delegation and highlighted the crisis being faced by the textile and spinning industry due to rising cotton prices and a shortage of quality cotton in the domestic market. The delegation urged the Centre to temporarily withdraw the existing 11 per cent import duty on cotton and impose restrictions on cotton exports till Oct 31, 2026, to ensure adequate domestic availability and price stability. They also sought priority allocation of Cotton Corporation of India stocks to manufacturers instead of traders.The meeting also focused on the challenges confronting the state’s aqua sector following recent tariff measures imposed by the United States. Concerns were raised over the impact on exporters, aqua farmers, hatcheries and seafood processing units, besides the livelihoods dependent on aquaculture across coastal Andhra Pradesh.Sri Krishna Devarayalu emphasised the need for support measures and improved market access to protect India’s seafood exports and minimise the impact on the aqua sector. He had also taken the crisis faced by the tobacco farmers due to the revised taxation structure on cigarettes. He stressed the need for a balanced approach to safeguard farmer incomes, stabilise procurement operations and protect livelihoods linked to the tobacco economy.