Telangana: Procurement delays and caps hit hard; maize farmers face mounting losses
Khammam district maize farmers face distress due to delayed and limited procurement, forcing sales at ₹1,600–1,700 per quintal, below ₹2,400 MSP. With few centres operational and procurement caps in place, large output remains unsold at MSP, prompting demands for urgent government intervention and expanded procurement coverage.
Maize farmers in Khammam district are facing mounting distress as delayed and inadequate procurement forces them to sell below the Rs 2,400 MSP. With only a fraction of centres operational, farmers are incurring heavy losses amid rising output and limited procurement access.
Farmer groups have alleged that procurement has not commenced at full scale, forcing many to sell their produce at prices far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
According to representatives of farmers’ associations, despite directions issued by the Centre on March 20 to establish 31 maize procurement centres in the district through MARKFED, only 10 to 12 centres have been set up so far and procurement has not begun at most of these locations.
They said maize was cultivated across approximately 1.81 lakh acres in the district this season, and farmers had demanded at least 54 procurement centres to handle the expected output. However, the sanctioned number was limited to 31, and even those are yet to become fully operational.
Due to the delay, farmers are reportedly selling maize at prices ranging between Rs 1,600 and Rs 1,700 per quintal, significantly lower than the MSP of Rs 2,400 per quintal, leading to financial losses.
Leaders from farmer unions alleged that key maize-producing mandals, including Chintakani, Bonakal, Konijerla, Mudigonda, and Raghunathapalem, are among the worst affected. While a few centres have been set up in select areas such as Nagulavancha and Bonakal, procurement has not commenced, they said, adding that no procurement facility has been established in some mandals like Mudigonda.
They further claimed that essential preparatory steps, such as inviting tenders for gunny bags and transportation, have not been completed, indicating a lack of readiness on the part of the authorities.
Farmer leaders also expressed concern over the cap imposed on procurement, which restricts purchases to 26.40 quintals per acre. They pointed out that the average yield ranges between 40 and 55 quintals per acre, leaving a substantial portion of the produce outside the procurement ambit and compelling farmers to sell the remainder to private traders at lower prices.
The farmer groups have urged the state government to immediately operationalise all procurement centres, lift the procurement cap and ensure that the entire produce is purchased at MSP to safeguard farmers’ interests.
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Source : The Hans India
