Former Minister T Harish Rao criticised the Congress-led Telangana government for capping maize procurement at 18 quintals per acre, despite higher yields. He highlighted the delay in opening procurement centres, forcing farmers to sell at rates below MSP.
Farmers in Siddipet staged a protest over the delay in sunflower procurement payments. Despite promises of depositing money within 48-hour deposits, the amount remains unpaid even after 75 days. BRS leaders joined the protest, demanding immediate disbursal to support Vanakalam expenses.
In the hope that the government would release water, farmers went ahead and cultivated crops on lands under the project. Despite their best efforts—transporting water in tanks, digging open wells, and drilling new borewells—only a few managed to save their crops.
Just as the Siddipet farmers started going for the first harvest of their palm oil crop, the price of oil palm per tonne has increased from Rs.13,000 to Rs.19,000.
