HYDERABAD: As the Rabi season is round the corner, Telangana’s paddy farmers are at the crossroads, mainly due to the Centre’s decision to not procure paddy coupled with the State government’s advice, asking the ryots to cultivate alternative crops. The situation may lead to a paddy glut in the market, causing untold misery to the farmers.
However, State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, said that there would not be any crisis as the farmers would switch to alternative crops as the Centre had said it would not procure paddy from Telangana.
“I have been receiving feedback from farmers and they are willing to go for alternative crops. In addition to an increased area of cultivation for crops like groundnut, Bengal gram, black gram and sesame, we are also going to see many farmers switching to maize as its output will be good. It is being procured in the open market, though they are paying Rs 100 to Rs 150 lesser than its minimum support price,” he observed.
“As the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had said it would not procure paddy cultivated in the ensuing Rabi season, the State government has decided to bring down the area of paddy cultivation in Telangana by 25 lakh acres and is encouraging cultivation of alternative crops like oil seeds and pulses,” the Minister added.
TRS MEN TALK IN DIFFERENT TUNES
The government will buy paddy - Finance Minister T Harish Rao during Huzurabad bypoll campaign
The State won’t purchase a single grain of paddy from the Rabi season - Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy in Nalgonda
The government will not buy paddy. Farmers can raise the crop to sell it in open markets - Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy
Only the Central government had said that it would not buy paddy - Panchayat Raj Minister E Dayakar Rao
The government will buy Rabi paddy too. Do not fall for BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s lies - Rythu Bandhu Samithi president Palla Rajeshwar Reddy