Video: Farmers block Narketpally road over poor prices for fine rice

Farmers in Nalgonda staged a protest on the Addanki-Narketpally road, alleging rice millers were forming a syndicate and refusing to pay remunerative prices for fine rice varieties. Prices dropped from Rs. 2,700 per quintal to Rs. 2,250–2,550 after April 1, leading to unrest.

Nalgonda: Farmers staged a protest on the Narketpally road, Vemulapally mandal complaining that rice millers were not offering remunerative prices for fine rice varieties. They also alleged that the millers were deceiving them by forming a syndicate.

Since the last few days, the millers were offering about Rs.2,700 per quintal to the farmers. However after April 1, as the stock arrivals increased, the millers had cut down the price to Rs. 2,250 to Rs. 2,550 per quintal depending on the quality and other factors, farmers said.

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There are nearly 90 rice mills in Miryalguda, which mostly procure fine rice varieties. On Tuesday, nearly 1,000 tractors carrying stocks from different areas arrived but the rice millers had closed the mills, alleging farmers had behaved rudely on Monday evening, reports said.

Irked over the rice millers’ charges and lack of remunerative price, farmers staged a protest on the Addaniki- Narketpally road. As farmers stuck to their ground, traffic movement was affected in the region. Officials had to intervene and convince the millers to commence procurement.

Accordingly, the millers opened the mills but farmers stated that they were offered Rs. 2,500 per quintal, the reports added.

Watch the farmers’ protest video below: