Delayed jowar payments force Adilabad farmers to rely on high-interest loans

Farmers in Adilabad are struggling during the Kharif season due to delayed payments for jowar sold in April. With no funds for inputs, many are turning to moneylenders charging high interest, deepening their financial distress

Adilabad: Farmers in the erstwhile Adilabad district are grappling with a severe financial crunch during the ongoing Vanakalam (Kharif) agricultural season, as payments for jowar (sorghum) sold to the government nearly two months ago remain pending.

Jowar was cultivated across 1.60 lakh acres in the composite Adilabad district, including Adilabad, Nirmal and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts. Of this, Adilabad alone accounted for 1.10 lakh acres, followed by 40,000 acres in Nirmal and 10,600 acres in Kumram Bheem Asifabad. The government procured 8 lakh quintals of jowar from farmers across these districts.

---

However, farmers are yet to receive payment for the crop sold since April, rendering them unable to purchase seeds, fertilisers, pesticides or hire farm labourers for the current season. With no alternative, many have been forced to turn to local moneylenders, borrowing at interest rates of 2 to 3 per cent per month.

“I sold 40 quintals of jowar to the government, expecting payment within a week or two. It’s been 55 days, and I haven’t received anything. I had to buy cotton seeds on credit from a moneylender,” said Gangadhar, a farmer from Kanugutta village in Boath, appealing to the government to expedite the payments.

Several other farmers from Nirmal and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts voiced similar concerns, warning that continued delays would push them further into debt and result in potential crop losses this season.

Officials of the Telangana State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited said steps were being taken to release the payments within a week. They said the disbursement process would begin in three days and admitted that a fund crunch had led to the delay, causing hardship for farmers.