Bananas sold for a price less than a matchbox:   Former Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has raised serious concerns over the agrarian crisis in Andhra Pradesh, alleging that banana farmers are being forced to sell their produce at just 50 paise per kilogram, a price cheaper than a matchbox or a biscuit. 

In a post on X on Tuesday (December 2, 2025), Mr. Mohan Reddy said the situation reflects the deep distress faced by the farming community, which has invested lakhs of rupees and months of labour only to receive shockingly low market prices.

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Mr. Mohan Reddy stated that the issue is not limited to bananas alone and that no crop is receiving a remunerative price, from onions to tomatoes. “This is the biggest blow farmers have faced,” he said.

He criticised the government, claiming that there is no free crop insurance, no input subsidies, and no promised investment assistance for farmers during disasters. “All these assurances have turned out to be deception,” Mr. Mohan Reddy alleged.

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Contrasting the present situation with his tenure as Chief Minister, Mr. Mohan Reddy said that under his administration, a tonne of bananas fetched an average price of ₹25,000, and special trains were run directly from Andhra Pradesh to Delhi to protect farmers from losses. He added that cold storage facilities were set up across the State, benefitting lakhs of farming families.

“Today, agriculture is collapsing and farmers are drowning in losses, while the government watches silently,” he said, accusing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of ignoring the plight of farmers. “If food is sold at 50 paise per kilo, what is the value of the labour that produces that food?” Mr. Mohan Reddy questioned, urging immediate intervention.