Paddy crop failure hits Medak farmers hard, seek govt relief

Farmers in Rukmapur village suffered devastating losses after the ‘Pathur 7545’ paddy variety failed on over 100 acres. With yields dropping below 7 quintals per acre, they have approached officials seeking action against the seed supplier and compensation for their investment

Medak: Paddy farmers in Rukmapur village of Chegunta mandal have been pushed into severe crisis after failing to get proper harvest from the ‘Pathur 7545’ variety, which they cultivated on more than 100 acres.

Farmers said they had been using seeds of a private company for years, sourcing them through supervisor Narsimhulu of Polampally. Since they generally secured a reasonable harvest, they continued to rely on him. Typically, farmers harvest between 28 and 32 quintals per acre, but this Vanakalam season, many did not even get 7 quintals, leaving them with heavy losses.

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One farmer, Mekala Srinivas, who cultivated the same variety in 2.5 acres, said he did not get any harvest and abandoned his crop without cutting it. When farmers noticed poor growth and an unusually low yield, they approached Narsimhulu, who advised one of them to spray pesticide. The situation worsened, they said, and he stopped taking their calls and has not visited the village since.

A group of affected farmers recently visited the Medak Collectorate, seeking action against the seed company for supplying spurious seeds and requesting financial support.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Srinivas said each farmer had spent Rs 40,000 per acre and that he had not recovered even a rupee this season, losing Rs 1 lakh on his crop.

Social activist Puli Raju visited the village on Thursday, spoke to the farmers and examined the fields. He urged the government to provide Rs 40,000 compensation per acre so farmers could recover their investment, warning that without support they would struggle to mobilise funds for the upcoming Yasangi season.