Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy thanked the Centre for enhancing the minimum support price of paddy by Rs. 170 a quintal taking the price of grade A variety from Rs. 1,110 to Rs. 1,280 a quintal and the common variety from Rs. 1,080 to Rs. 1,250 a quintal.

The hike would be of a big help to farmers of the State and the government had been pleading with the Centre to enhance the MSP for paddy. The Chief Minister recalled how he had taken up the issue with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar whenever he met them.

The Chief Minister also thanked the Centre for its decision to defer the Union Fertilizer Ministry's proposal to hike the urea price by 10 per cent, according to an official release.