Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged the central government to take immediate steps to protect the interests of aquaculture and tobacco farmers in the state. The Chief Minister has written separate letters to Union ministers seeking policy support, financial relief and measures to improve the competitiveness of these sectors.

In a letter to Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Naidu requested permission for shrimp feed manufacturers to import genetically modified (GM) soybean meal. He said rising soybean meal prices, caused by limited domestic availability, have increased shrimp feed production costs and created financial pressure on aquaculture farmers.

Naidu highlighted that similar import permissions were granted to shrimp feed manufacturers on a limited basis in 2021. He said increasing shrimp production and exports from countries such as Ecuador have intensified competition in global markets, affecting Indian exporters in major destinations including the United States, China and Europe.

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The Chief Minister also sought the establishment of a regional office of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Amaravati to strengthen the state’s aquaculture sector. He said the state government has already allocated 7.89 acres of land at Nekkallu village for the proposed facility, which would include a training centre, fisheries park and public aquarium to support the development of the Blue Economy.

In separate communications to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Naidu requested measures to support aquaculture exports and reduce costs for farmers. He called for regulation of fish meal exports, stating that domestic feed manufacturers face higher prices due to export incentives, and urged the government to ensure local requirements are met before allowing overseas shipments.

Naidu also requested export incentives for Andhra Pradesh’s FCV tobacco farmers and sought the inclusion of unmanufactured tobacco under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme. Additionally, he proposed reducing GST on aquaculture aerators from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, lowering GST on unmanufactured tobacco from 40 per cent to 28 per cent, providing additional Kisan Credit Card support for aquaculture farmers and creating a Rs 100 crore NFDB corpus fund for domestic marketing. He said these measures would provide relief to farmers, traders and exporters across the state.

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