Maize farmers in Khammam in distress as Markfed yet to open procurement centres

Maize farmers in Khammam district have expressed distress over the delay in setting up Markfed procurement centres. Farmers say they are forced to sell produce far below the government support price and have demanded early procurement and a bonus

Khammam: Maize farmers in Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao’s home district Khammam are in distress as the Markfed is yet to set up purchase centres to procure maize produced in the Yasangi season.

Farmers are complaining that due to the lack of procurement centres, they are forced to sell the produce below the support price announced by the State government. The government support price is Rs.2,400 per quintal but the traders are offering around Rs.1,400 to Rs.1,500 per quintal. As there is no alternative, the farmers are forced to sell at the price offered by the traders, Akhila Bharata Aikya Rythu Sangham Khammam district secretary Koleti Nageswara Rao told Telangana Today.

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According to him, the maize cultivation area increased to about 1.69 lakh acres in this Yasangi from 1.40 lakh acres in the previous season in the district. The yield is about 35 to 40 quintals per acre. But the Markfed is limiting the procurement to 28 quintals per acre from each farmer. As a result, the farmers are compelled to sell the remaining produce to private traders, who offer a price lower than the support price. The government should direct the Markfed to purchase the entire produce brought to the procurement centres, Nageswara Rao demanded.

Markfed opens its procurement centres in April. Due to untimely rains, it is difficult for farmers to store their crops in the fields. If Markfed centres are opened in April, it would only benefit middlemen. Hence Markfed centres should be set up from March 15 to purchase maize, he noted.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers from 20 villages of Chintakani mandal as well as from Mudigonda, Konijerla, Bonakal and Raghunadhapalem mandals took to the streets on Monday under the aegis of Chintakani Mandal All-Party Farmers’ Association in support of the demand.

The farmers also wanted the government to announce a bonus of Rs.500 per quintal in view of increased input costs. The moisture content limit should be increased to 20 per cent instead of the current 12 per cent. Legal action has to be taken against traders buying maize without a licence and middlemen who are helping them.