Ministers’ tall claims on procurement arrangements fail as farmers continue protests

Farmers across Telangana are staging protests over delays in paddy procurement, citing shortages of gunny bags and trucks. In Yadadri‑Bhuvanagiri and Nalgonda, paddy sacks were burnt in anger. Maize farmers, too, face severe distress as procurement has not begun despite heavy losses from unseasonal rains.

Hyderabad: It has been over a fortnight since the paddy procurement commenced in the State. Yet, farmers continue to stage protests demanding a supply of sufficient gunny bags, arrangement of trucks to shift stocks to mills and warehouses and more importantly, over the delay in procurement.

On Tuesday, farmers in Yadadri Bhongir and Nalgonda burnt paddy sacks over the delay in procurement, reflecting the gravity of the situation in the season.

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Farmers squatted on the Nirmal – Mancherial road and staged a protest over the delay in procurement.

On April 25, Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy had stated that the department had geared up to procure 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy this season.

He had announced that 16 crore gunny bags had been distributed to all procurement centres. Further assurances were made that arrangements were in place for the smooth transport of stocks to mills.

Despite these assertions, farmers complain of a shortage of gunny bags and trucks to shift the stocks. Due to the delay in procurement, they are sleeping at the procurement centres and waiting for their turn.

Maize farmers’ hardships

Not to mention the plight of maize farmers. They have been complaining that the government was not procuring their stocks despite repeated pleas to officials.

In a video, which is circulating on social media, a maize farmer complained that for 25 days, they had been waiting for procurement to commence. Due to unseasonal rains, the farmers suffered additional losses. There were no tarpaulins at the procurement centres, they charged.

In the Yasangi season, maize was cultivated in 11.21 lakh acres in the State. The Agriculture Department estimated the total yield to be 29.79 lakh metric tonnes.

Since the third week of March, farmers have been carrying their stocks to the market yards. The Minimum Support Price announced by the Central government was Rs 2,400 per quintal, but traders were offering only Rs 1,700 per quintal, resulting in a loss of Rs 600 per quintal, farmers complain.

They are appealing to the State government to procure their stocks and bail them out of the crisis. However, the State government is appealing to the Central government to procure at least 50 per cent of the 29.79 lakh metric tonnes of stocks.