Delayed bonus hits Telangana fine paddy farmers amid Kharif preparations

Over four lakh fine paddy farmers in Telangana are facing financial hardship as the promised Rs. 500 per quintal bonus remains unpaid for the Rabi 2025 season.

Hyderabad: Telangana’s fine paddy farmers are grappling with severe financial distress as the promised Rs. 500 per quintal bonus over the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Rabi 2025 season remains unpaid. Despite repeated assurances from ministers, the bonus is yet to be disbursed.

With the Rabi procurement season nearing completion and Kharif operations already underway, farmers—particularly in districts like Nizamabad and Suryapet—are struggling to mobilise funds for crop investment. The situation is further aggravated by the early onset of the monsoon.

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The State had targeted the procurement of 70 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy from 54.89 lakh acres of Rabi cultivation, with an estimated output of 127 LMT. By late May 2025, around 66 LMT had been procured through 8,381 centres. Though over Rs.15,000 crore was earmarked for both MSP and bonus payments, only the MSP component—amounting to Rs.12,184 crore—has been largely cleared.

The bonus component, estimated at Rs. 950 crore for over four lakh farmers, is still pending. Even bonuses for fine paddy procured in February 2025 remain unpaid in several cases.

Voicing frustration over the delay, Congress activist and paddy farmer M. Narsaiah from Mannegudem in Mahabubabad district said the government must prioritise clearing dues to farmers, who were also awaiting the Rythu Bharosa scheme assistance. “Any further delay in disbursement of the bonus will add to the farmers’ hardship,” he said. Farmers in Mancherial, Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Yadadri Bhongir have raised similar complaints.

Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao had assured that payments would be released within 48 hours of uploading procurement data. However, this assurance, made during a video conference with district collectors on April 30, is yet to materialise.

Logistical issues—including delays in transportation and slow movement of paddy to mills—have contributed to the crisis. In addition, funding shortages in the State treasury and disputes over moisture content with private traders, who offer lower rates for fine paddy, have complicated the situation further.

Opposition leaders from the BRS have criticised the Congress government for failing to deliver on its promises, pointing to similar delays during the Kharif season.

In Nizamabad alone, where over 8 lakh metric tonnes of fine paddy were procured, farmers are particularly frustrated. Many have turned to private money lenders to fund Kharif season operations. Protests have erupted in districts such as Mahabubnagar, with farmers from Muchhintala raising concerns with local authorities.

With 90 per cent of Rabi procurement completed, farmers are demanding the immediate release of the Rs.950 crore in pending bonuses to ease their financial burden and ensure timely agricultural activity.