AP govt steps in to stabilise commodity prices, readies Kharif action plan

Vijayawada: The state govt has directed the officials to initiate stringent measures to ensure essential commodities remain available to people at affordable prices. The cabinet sub-committee asked the officials to continuously monitor fluctuations in open market prices and take timely corrective measures to prevent any burden on consumers. The cabinet sub-committee on price stabilisation, comprising civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar, finance minister Payyavula Keshav and agriculture minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu reviewed the situation in the state with the officials on Friday.Ministers reviewed demand and price trends of essential commodities such as pulses, rice, edible oils, tomatoes and onions in both wholesale and retail markets. Nadendla Manohar said global war-like conditions had contributed to some increase in prices internationally, but the govt was fully prepared to control the impact in the state. He particularly noted the sharp rise in edible oil prices across the country and assured that the govt would take necessary steps to ensure cooking oils remain available to consumers at reasonable prices in the state.The ministers also reviewed preparedness for the upcoming Kharif season. They said the agriculture and civil supplies departments were jointly preparing advance plans to ensure smooth procurement and market management during the season. As part of the strategy, the govt will launch awareness programmes encouraging farmers to cultivate priority paddy varieties with better market demand. Ministers pointed out that farmers cultivating low-demand varieties often face difficulties during procurement.They specifically referred to paddy varieties such as 1010 and PR-126, stating that these varieties yield a high percentage of broken rice, making them less suitable for consumption and resulting in financial losses to farmers. The committee was instructed to create awareness at the field level so that farmers make informed decisions while selecting paddy varieties.The ministers said clear guidelines had been issued to officials to keep prices under control over the next three months through planning and constant monitoring of market conditions. They asserted that the coalition govt was committed to ensuring that common people do not face hardships due to rising prices.