SANGAREDDY : The scorching sun and scarcity of seeds are causing significant worry among farmers, as many were seen queuing up at Agros Rythu Seva Kendras in various parts of the erstwhile Medak district since early morning.
Farmers, unable to withstand the intense heat, are leaving their passbooks and sandals in line to hold their place while they stand nearby. For the past three to four days, people have been waiting in queues for hours to obtain seeds in different parts of the district.
They are complaining about long waiting hours for seeds in many areas including Toopran of Medak district, Pulkal mandal of Sangareddy district. Farmers have particularly lined up for Jeelugu seeds at Toopran mandal headquarters.
Over the past ten days, farmers have been visiting dealers to buy seeds, and large crowds gathered on Wednesday. With IMD predicting the arrival of monsoon in the first week of June and the possibility of heavy rains, many farmers have already prepared their lands for cultivation. They are spending hours searching for necessary cotton seeds to plant once it rains.
Farmers are demanding that the government take immediate steps to ensure seeds are delivered quickly. Despite their efforts, they often hear from fertiliser shops that there is no stock available.
However, Medak DC Rahul Raj said that there is no shortage of seeds for farmers in the district, assuring enough seeds have arrived to meet the demand. He advised farmers to be patient, emphasising that seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides are all available for the Kharif season.
Department officials estimate that crops will be cultivated on around 3.73 lakh acres. Plans include cultivating paddy on 3.27 lakh acres, cotton on 40,619 acres, maize on 2,820 acres, sorghum on 1,125 and other crops on 1,832 acres.