Amaravati, Dec 1 (NationPress) In Andhra Pradesh, a kilogram of bananas is priced at just 50 paise, making it more affordable than a matchbox, stated YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday.

He took to X to draw attention to the struggles faced by banana farmers in the state.

"Hello India, pay attention to Andhra Pradesh! One kilogram of bananas is going for merely Rs 0.50! Yes, you heard correctly, fifty paise. This is the sad reality for banana farmers here. It's less than a matchbox and even cheaper than a single biscuit. This is a harsh blow to farmers who spend lakhs of rupees and months of labor, only to be met with despair," he expressed.

"Not just bananas, but also onions and tomatoes are not fetching fair prices. There is no free crop insurance, no input subsidies during disasters, nor the promised cultivation support. Everything has turned out to be a lie," he added.

Jagan Mohan Reddy emphasized that during his party's tenure, the average price of bananas was around Rs 25,000 per tonne, and special trains were organized to transport them to New Delhi, ensuring that farmers did not suffer losses. "This dedication saved countless families, and cold storages were built across the state to safeguard farmers from distress sales. However, today, Chandrababu Naidu has forsaken farmers, witnessing agriculture deteriorate. If food is worth Rs 0.50 now, what is the worth of the hands that cultivate it?" he criticized, targeting Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

The YSRCP leader shared images of protests by banana farmers and party officials.

At the same time, YSRCP Rajya Sabha member Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose has called on the Union Agriculture Ministry to take immediate action and assist banana farmers in Rayalaseema, pointing out that market failures are jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of small and marginal farmers. He urged the Centre to quickly implement measures to shield farmers from devastation.

During a Zero Hour discussion in the Rajya Sabha, he brought attention to the alarming drop in banana prices in the area, which has plunged farmers into severe distress. Despite record harvests and high yields in recent seasons, the sudden fall in market prices has led to unprecedented financial losses.

In Pulivendula, one of the largest banana-producing regions, prices have drastically fallen from Rs 22,000 per tonne to Rs 8,000 per tonne within a month, resulting in a staggering 60 percent drop. Many farmers have had to discard ripe fruits as they could not find buyers for their produce.

Bose also highlighted that severe drought and unpredictable rainfall in the 2025 Kharif season led to a significant drop in cultivation, down to only 19 to 35 percent of normal in districts like YSR Kadapa, Kurnool, and Anantapur. He remarked that the situation has devastated farmers who invested substantial sums expecting stable incomes.