Pending paddy bonus payments put Telangana farmers in dilemma

Rs 950 crore bonus remains unpaid, which places considerable financial burden on over four lakh farmers who sold Grade -A variety

Hyderabad: As the Kharif marketing season nears its end, many farmers find themselves in a dilemma over late bonus payments despite the procurement of paddy. Over 51 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured from various regions through 8,319 purchase centres across the State. However, the delay in bonus payments, especially for those who sold fine grade paddy, is worrying farmers. While approximately 9.75 lakh farmers were involved in the procurement process, the bonus payments, specifically the Rs 500 per tonne incentive for fine grade varieties, have seen significant delays. So far, nearly Rs 700 crore was disbursed as bonus, but another Rs 950 crore remains unpaid.

This delay has placed a considerable financial burden on around four lakh farmers who sold Grade -A paddy. Officials hope to disburse the pending bonus amounts before Sankranti.

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With over Rs 11,700 crore paid towards the cost of procured paddy, the backlog of bonus payments has become a concern for farmers. These farmers have already embarked on the preparatory operations for the Rabi season, which involve huge investments in seeds, land preparation and fertilizers. There is considerable delay over the long-awaited Rythu Bharosa, the crop investment support due for the last two seasons. The pending incentives are essential for the farmers at this critical juncture.

Many farmers have been rallying around local officials, not only for unfulfilled loan waivers and crop investment support but also for the overdue bonus payments. They are insisting on steps to expedite these payments without further delay.

Despite the numerous purchase centres, the procurement target of 91 lakh metric tonnes of paddy for the season could not be realized due to multiple factors. Private traders, even those from outside the State, capitalized on moisture content issues and other operational problems that affected government agencies. These traders enjoyed an upper hand, managing to purchase much of the Grade -A paddy. This left the Civil Supplies Corporation with a lower procurement of 22 lakh tonnes of fine grades, against its requirement of 34 lakh tonnes.