KADAPA: Farmers are finding it difficult to sell their turmeric produce in the agriculture market yards due to several conditions laid down by the State government. Though the government announced a support price of Rs 6,500 per quintal of turmeric, it has imposed a restriction that only quality produce should be procured from farmers in the market yards. The turmeric produce procured from farmers in the market yards is very limited though the government announced to procure 5,318 metric tonnes of produce in the district.Farmers of Kadapa district cultivated turmeric in about 6,773 acres in last Kharif season and they got nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of yield. Officials announced procurement of turmeric from July 4 to 31 and set up seven procurement centres in the market yards in the district.
The procurement centres under Markfed were set up in Mydukur, Siddavatam, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendula and Kamalapuram market yards. Only 2.4 metric tonnes of turmeric has been procured at Duvvur and 5.4 tonnes at Pendlimarri centres till date. While officials are maintaining that grade A quality turmeric is not being brought to the procurement centres, farmers are appealing to the government to relax norms for procurement of turmeric and ensure remunerative price for their produce. Even some farmers have written a letter to the State government seeking relaxation of quality norms.
“The State government has imposed several restrictions for procurement of turmeric at support price this season. There is a need to relax quality norms to procure turmeric crop,” said K Nagaiah, a farmer from Duvvur. Farmers have urged the government to divide turmeric into three grades and purchase the crop accordingly at support price.“We have been procuring turmeric as per the guidelines of the government. We have procured 10.20 MT of turmeric from farmers as against the target of 5,318 MT. We have sent the demand of farmers to the State government for consideration,” said Narasimha Reddy, Markfed District Manager.