Vijayawada farmers protest against Trump's tariff hike
Farmers and local groups hit the streets of Vijayawada this week, rallying against the steep 50% tariffs on Indian exports announced by US President Donald Trump.
Marking the Quit India Movement anniversary, they burned an effigy of Trump and called out multinational corporations, demanding a serious rethink on free trade agreements (FTAs) and outside involvement in Indian agriculture.
Farmers' concerns
Protesters also raised red flags about the proposed National Agriculture Market law, worried it could scrap minimum support prices for crops.
Leaders like Vadde Shobhanadreeswara Rao warned this move might hurt farmers' incomes.
Others spoke up against subsidy cuts, pricier fertilizers, forced land grabs, and cheap imports flooding in through FTAs—urging unity to protect local farming from big business takeovers.