ONGOLE: The State government has recently issued orders granting Rs 1,500 bonus per quintal to all Bengal gram farmers of Prakasam district irrespective of their e-crop filing data.
As per the records, farmers of Prakasam, Kurnool and Kadapa districts are usually the main stakeholders of Bengal gram cultivation in the State. In particular, among these districts, Prakasam is having the highest number of farmers cultivating Bengal gram. As the farmers had not been getting appropriate minimum support price (MSP) for their products for the past three years, they kept their crop in the cold storage units and had been facing severe financial problems.
After receiving several pleas and following agitations and protest demonstrations held by farmers’ associations, the government took the decision to provide marketing intervention support to the Bengal gram farmers to the tune of Rs 1,500 per quintal and the government also agreed to pay this amount for up to a maximum quantity of 30 quintals per farmer. But to list out the eligible farmers, the government has ordered the district agriculture department officials to cross-check the Bengal gram farmers’ list with the data, which is available in the ‘E-Crop’ filing portal. But for 2016-17 and 2017-18 financial years, the government had not taken up the E-Crop filing process. However, this was done for 2018-19.
Due to this reason, most of the farmers’ names were not included in the beneficiaries’ list. Out of total 27,000 Bengal gram cultivators, who preserved their produce in around 66 cold storage units, names of only 7,200 made it to the list and at this point, Zilla Rythu Sangham and other farmers’ associations held protests. Following their agitation, the government has now decided to extend Rs 1,500 marketing intervention payment to all the eligible Bengal gram farmers irrespective of the names of farmers found in E-Crop data. With this development, another 10,000 to 12,000 Bengal gram farmers will get the benefit.
Now, agriculture officials are busy preparing the YSR Rythu Bharosa beneficiaries’ list. Agriculture officials should take up the preparation of beneficiaries’ list of Bengal gram farmers from October 19.