Farmers struggle as delay in Rythu Bharosa pushes them towards moneylenders

Farmers are raising paddy nurseries under assured irrigation sources and sowing rainfed crops like jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, pulses, groundnut, soybean and cotton.

Hyderabad: Uncertainty has cast a shadow over farmers as they embark on sowing operations for the ongoing Vanakalam (Kharif) crop season. The delay in the disbursement of the Rythu Bharosa farm investment assistance is driving them back into the clutches of moneylenders.

The delay for the second consecutive season is pushing farmers to borrow at high interest rates to kickstart their farm operations. With the monsoon turning active across the State, farmers have commenced sowing operations. As on June 21, crops have been sown over 22.2 lakh acres against the season’s normal cultivation area of 1.31 crore acres.

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Farmers are raising paddy nurseries under assured irrigation sources and sowing rainfed crops like jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, pulses, groundnut, soybean and cotton.

Nearly two weeks after the crop season commenced, nearly 30.29 lakh eligible farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme received Rs.2,000 per acre during last week.

However, the State’s Rythu Bharosa payment of Rs.7,500 per acre remains elusive.

The delay is causing unwanted distress among farmers. Instead of expediting disbursement of the Rythu Bharosa amount, the State Cabinet recently appointed a Cabinet sub-committee to draft guidelines for the Rythu Bharosa scheme, with a report due by July 15. Approval of these guidelines is expected to take another week or two, leaving farmers in the lurch.

In the interim, farmers like Annam Venkat Reddy from Thogarrai village in Peddapalli district are forced to take high-interest loans from moneylenders to commence farm operations.

“I need around Rs 10,000-15,000 per acre to cultivate. For the last two seasons, I had to borrow Rs.50,000 from a moneylender at 1.5 percent interest because the Rythu Bharosa aid was not deposited in time,” he lamented.

Gampa Suresh Kumar, a farmer from Shanigaram village in Siddipet district, expressed similar frustrations. He suggested that if the full Rythu Bharosa amount of Rs 7,500 could not be disbursed, the government should at least release Rs.6,000 as was done during the Yasangi (Rabi) season.

“This would help us manage our expenses with handloans borrowed from friends or relatives, avoiding high-interest debts,” he said. He explained that moneylenders typically prefer to give large loans for longer periods, increasing the financial strain on farmers.

Under the previous BRS administration, the State government deposited Rs.72,815 crore in farmers’ accounts under the Rythu Bandhu scheme for 11 consecutive seasons without much delay.

Nearly 70 lakh farmers, owning around 1.52 crore acres, benefitted from this timely assistance. Former Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy noted that 92.5 per cent of the land in Telangana was owned by farmers with less than five acres.

He criticised the current Congress government for not addressing discrepancies in the last seven months and delaying the investment support further. “Rather than fixing issues and implementing the Rythu Bharosa scheme, the State government is dragging its feet, causing more hardship for farmers,” he said.

He demanded that the State government to at least start disbursement of Rythu Bharosa amount of Rs 6,000 as was done during the previous season. As the sowing season picks up pace, the delay in Rythu Bharosa assistance only increases their financial woes.

Any further delay in this regard, could only cause more distress to farmers who are already struggling due to uncertain power and water supply.