Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 16 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal, accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Ministers Anagani Satya Prasad and TG Bharat, visited the sacred hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala and offered prayers on Monday.

The visit came days after Goyal marked his birthday on June 13. The Minister expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to seek blessings from Lord Balaji.

'It is my great fortune that on my birthday today, I got an opportunity to offer prayers before Lord Balaji. I come here each year to pray to Tirupati Balaji and take his blessings to work for the country. I seek his blessings for a good future for every citizen of India,' Goyal said after the darshan.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Goyal also met with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to discuss issues affecting farmers in the state, particularly those cultivating commercial crops and involved in the aqua sector.

The Union Minister was on an official visit to the state. Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was a key ally in the NDA government at the Centre.

The meeting covered key issues, including HD Burley tobacco procurement, import duties on crude palm oil, tariffs imposed by the United States on aqua exports, and GST on mango pulp, according to a statement by Andhra Pradesh's Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).

CM Naidu explained the on-ground realities and hardships faced by farmers in the state and highlighted the steps that the state government was taking. He appealed for central support to address these challenges.

The Chief Minister informed the Union Minister that farmers cultivating HD Burley and White Burley tobacco had been facing severe price drops this season.

To address this, the state government had already initiated procurement efforts.

CM Naidu stated that a plan had been put in place to procure 20 million kilograms of tobacco at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Seven procurement centres had been established in Bapatla, Guntur, Palnadu, and Prakasam districts through the AP MARKFED.

The Chief Minister requested Rs 150 crore from the Tobacco Board to support the initiative. He also noted that the area under tobacco cultivation had increased to 1.31 lakh hectares this year compared to the previous season.

With international demand declining, farmers are reportedly incurring significant losses. CM Naidu urged the Centre to amend the law to bring tobacco production and marketing entirely under the purview of the Tobacco Board. (ANI)