Telanagana : Rain fear drives farmers to undersell fine variety paddy to millers
In Nalgonda, many farmers growing fine paddy are underselling to millers due to moisture content issues. This season, 53% of the 5.2 lakh acres of paddy was fine variety. The government set up 340 procurement centres, but farmers struggle to meet the moisture requirement for MSP, risking crop loss from rain delays. Some farmers urge the government to honor the ₹500 bonus even when selling directly to millers.
NALGONDA: Majority of the farmers in the district who have grown fine variety of paddy are underselling their produce to millers directly.
In this khariff, paddy was raised in 5.2 lakh acres. Of this, fine variety of paddy is grown in 53 per cent of the area and coarse variety in the remaining 47 percent area.
The civil supplies department is expecting 4,70,000 metric tons of coarse rice paddy and 2,80,000 metric tonnes of fine rice paddy at the IKP centres for procurement.
The government has set up 260 centres for buying coarse paddy variety and 80 centres for fine paddy in the district.
However, IKP centre organisers are buying paddy only if the moisture content is less than 17 percent.
V Ram Reddy, a farmer of Vemulapally mandal, said: “We are being forced to undersell our paddy to millers because of the threat of rain. For drying to reduce moisture it takes time and I have to hire labourers. If there is a sharp shower, I will lose the entire produce.”
The IKP centres will pay MSP Rs 2,320 if the moisture is less than the prescribed limit of 17 per cent. The collector is also asking the farmers to dry their crops and then take them to the IKP centres. But practically it is fraught with problems.
Ram Reddy says that he has 10 quintals of paddy. For him to dry it so that the paddy will have less than 17 per cent moisture, it would take time and he has to hire labourers. He has to risk rain till such time he takes his produce to the IKP centre and sells it. If there is rain before he sells it at the IKP, he will lose his crop.
“I wonder whether it is wise to sell paddy at IKP centre in this scenario. That is the reason many farmers are underselling their paddy to millers directly,” he said and urged the government to pay them Rs 500 bonus per quintal as promised, even when they sell their produce to millers directly.
As there were no rains at the beginning of the Khariff season last year, crop holiday was observed in many parts of the district. This has led to a decrease in the coverage. The crop was raised only in 1.5 lakh acres. As supply was less, the millers had paid MSP.
But this year, the fine variety of rice was cultivated in about three lakh acres. There was ample rain. The yield was more. The millers, taking advantage of supply glut are offering low prices on the pretext that moisture content is high or cutting the amount towards wastage and complaining that the paddy being sold was of poor quality.
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Source Link : The New Indian Express
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