Another blow for Telangana farmers: Government slashes subsidy on green manure seeds

The seed, which used to be provided to farmers on a 60 per cent subsidy, is now being supplied on a 50 percent subsidy

Karimnagar: Farmers in the State are in for fresh misery with the government slashing the subsidy on green manure seeds, thus sending the price of the same up.

The seed, which used to be provided to farmers on a 60 per cent subsidy, is now being supplied on a 50 per cent subsidy, as a result of which farmers have to spend an additional Rs 1000 for each bag of green manure.

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Green manure seeds are supplied on subsidy to enhance fertility of the land and reduce utilisation of fertilizer. There are three types of green manure including Jeeluga, Pillipesara and Janumu.

After the slash in subsidy, the price of a 30 kg Jeeluga bag has gone up to Rs 2,137 from Rs 1,116. The price of a 20 kg Pillipesara bag has gone up to Rs 2,055 from Rs 1,084, while that of a Janumu 40 kg bag shot up to Rs 2,510 from Rs 1,448.

Worried over this price hike hitting their budgets, farmers are asking the State government to enhance the subsidy and supply the seeds at the old prices. Farmers, who usually sow green manure around mid-May for the Vanakalam season, are also waiting for the seed since adequate seed stocks are not yet available in many centres.

Though Agriculture officials claim that stocks have already reached the centres, farmers say they are being sent back by many centres citing stock shortage.

Agriculture scientists advise sowing of 15 kg of green manure for one acre of land and 30 kg for two and half acres. After 35 to 40 days of sowing, the green manure crop has to be tilled back into the soil to release nutrients and enrich the soil like a natural fertilizer.