Kerala agriculture minister counters actor Jayasurya’s statement on paddy farmers’ plight
On Monday, actor Jayasurya blamed the state government for not paying the procurement amount to paddy farmers and said it was not surprising that the new generation is not entering the sector. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad. KOCHI: Agriculture Minister P Prasad on Wednesday came out in defence of the LDF government and his department after actor Jayasurya’s critical speech on the plight of the paddy farmers in the state went viral on Monday. Prasad, during the election campaign of LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas in Puthuppally on Wednesday, said the actor’s statements were factually wrong. “Farmers are paid Rs 28 per kg of paddy. Of this, the Centre pays Rs 20.50 and the state adds another Rs 7.50 as it knows that the Union government’s aid will not be sufficient. However, the Centre has delayed their share of payment. Even banks backed off from cooperating with the state to provide the procurement amount to paddy farmers. Even then, we distributed our share of Rs 7.50 per kg amo