Khammam farmers hit streets over delays in crop procurement

Farmers staged protests across Khammam district over delays in maize and paddy procurement. BRS leaders and farmer groups alleged inadequate purchase limits, lack of gunny bags and government inaction, warning of intensified agitation if procurement operations are not started immediately

Khammam: Farmers took to the streets at different parts of Khammam district on Tuesday in protest against the problems faced by them in the procurement of maize and paddy.

Taking part in a protest at Tallada mandal headquarters, former BRS MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah accused the Congress government of neglecting the farming community. He demanded the government to set up maize, paddy procurement centres and purchase every grain produced by the farmers.

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The government had failed to fulfil the promises made to farmers during the elections and failed to procure the farm produce. As a result, the farmers were forced to wait at the procurement centres, he said.

Veeraiah demanded that the government respond immediately and commence procurement operations at the paddy and maize procurement centres without further delay. The BRS party would lay siege to the collectorate on April 24 in support of the farmers’ issues, he revealed.

A similar protest was staged by farmers led by Telangana Rythu Sangham at Nagulavancha in Chintakani mandal on Khammam-Bonakal main road. Addressing the farmers, Sangham assistant district secretary Madipalli Gopala Rao slammed restrictions on maize purchases.

The Markfed was procuring only 26 quintals of maize per acre, while the farmers harvested 40 to 50 quintals of maize per acre. There were no gunny bags at the purchase centres, dut to which farmers were forced to buy bags with their own money facing an additional financial burden, he said.