HYDERABAD: With El Nino conditions looming and the government urging farmers to move away from paddy, cultivators are worried about the risks of growing alternative crops. Monkey and wild pig menace, erratic power supply, labour shortages and uncertain markets are among their main concerns.
P Siddulu, a farmer from Enabavi village in Lingala Ghanpur mandal of Jangaon district, the state’s first designated organic village, says farmers cannot abandon paddy completely.
Paddy straw, used as cattle feed, cost up to 200 per bundle last season and could become more expensive this year. “Fields which should have had green grass have all dried up,” he says, adding that the government may have to buy grass and supply it to farmers to save their cattle.
Monkeys and labour shortages pose further challenges to crop diversification. Siddulu says the village is considering organic vegetable cultivation, partly because farmers have struggled to navigate fertiliser apps and rising fertiliser prices are pushing them towards organic methods.
K Shekhar Reddy, a farmer from Arutla village in Rangareddy district, who owns 11 acres, has yet to decide which crop to grow. Wild pigs and peacocks threaten crops, while his previous experience with alternative crops has been discouraging. He lost Rs 40,000 invested in two acres of cotton after the crop wilted and also incurred losses growing vegetables and chillies last season.
“I had to deploy more labour for those crops, which do not have assured buyers. Reliable power is an issue, as low voltage is burning out transformers. The staff seek bribes to repair them. Ground-level staff and engineers are warning us of more power shortages ahead,” he says.
Despite having water to grow alternative crops on at least two acres using drip irrigation, Reddy remains uncertain about switching. He is also struggling to save his 2.5-acre paddy crop because of power supply problems.
Jakkula Tirupati, a farmer from Nagpuri village in Cheryala mandal of Siddipet district, believes farmers could switch from paddy if solar fencing is installed to keep monkeys away. With fewer fields growing paddy during the rabi season, he says, alternative crops would also face less water seepage from neighbouring fields. Farmers continue to prefer paddy because it has a minimum support price (MSP).
Bonthu Ram Babu, joint secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, says the government must guarantee support prices for alternative crops to encourage farmers to move away from paddy. He cites the example of green gram farmers having to sell their produce for Rs 6,000 per quintal against an MSP of Rs 8,800.
Crop choices should be decided at the cluster level by agriculture extension officers in consultation with farmers, taking into account water availability and soil conditions, he says. The government should provide free seeds and prevent substandard varieties from flooding the market. He also says the previous regime abandoned its efforts to control the monkey population through birth control midway.
Dr K Suhasini, senior professor and head of agricultural economics at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, recommends short-duration crops such as jowar, pearl millet, foxtail millet and little millet, depending on seed availability, soil suitability and irrigation facilities. She says assured buyback arrangements are essential.
GV Ramanjaneyulu, executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, points to another obstacle: Converting paddy fields to other crops. Puddling, a practice used in paddy cultivation to prevent water from seeping into the soil, hardens the land and makes it difficult for vegetable roots to penetrate deeper.