Karimnagar maize farmers struggle as procurement delays hit centres

Maize farmers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district are facing severe hardships due to delayed procurement, shortage of gunny bags, hamalies and transport vehicles. Many farmers are waiting weeks at procurement centres and are being forced to sell produce to middlemen at lower prices.

Karimnagar: Maize farmers are facing troubles due to delay in procurement process in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. Shortfall of gunny bags, hamalies and vehicles to transport the crop to godowns are major problems.

As a result, farmers are forced to wait in procurement centers for more than 15 to 20 days. Vehicles shortage has become a problem in paddy procurement this time around.

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procurement delays hit centresBesides vehicles, gunny bags and hamalies shortage is delaying maize procurement. Subsequently, the crop has not been weighted even after 15 days. Vexed over delay in procurement, some of the farmers are forced to sell their produce to middlemen at lesser price.

The union government usually procures Maize through Markfed every year. However, this year, the center has not come forward to purchase the crop despite the state government’s request.

Due to delay in opening of centers in the beginning of the season, some of the farmers have already sold the crop to private traders at Rs 1800 to Rs 1900 as against Rs 2400 minimum support price announced for Maize.

As the center has not come forward, the state government has decided to purchase the maize through Markfed and opened centers. Though the centers were opened, required facilities such as gunny bags, hamalies and vehicles were not arranged.

So, the weighting and transportation of the crop has been delayed in many centers. In some centers, farmers are asked to purchase gunny bags from outside and bear transportation charges.

While a gunny bag is available at Rs 21 in the open market, Rs 14 to Rs 16 is being charged for the transportation of each bag to godown. Officials are promising to refund the amount.

Though farmers are arranging gunny bags, weighting is being delayed due to lack of hamalies. So, the farmers wanted the government to speed up the process by arranging adequate gunny bags, hamalies and vehicles.

On the other hand, the condition to procure only 25 quintals of maize produced in an acre of land is another problem being faced by the farmers.

Though 35 to 40 quintals of yield is being produced in an acre of land, Markfed has put a condition to purchase only 25 quintals. As a result, the farmers are forced to sell the remaining crop to middlemen at Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,800 per quintal.