HYDERABAD/SIDDIPET: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy has made it clear that the State government will not procure paddy in the coming Rabi season. He, however, clarified that farmers who had agreements to supply paddy seeds to seed companies and seed development corporations, along with farmers from Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Suryapet districts who sell paddy to millers, were free to grow paddy in Rabi.
Addressing the media at his official residence on Saturday, the Minister made it clear that the State government would procure the entire paddy for Kharif season, as it satisfies the domestic consumption needs.Observing that procurement was the domain of the Centre as per the Constitution of India, Reddy felt that the Centre was trying to pass that responsibility to the States in the absence of a clear national policy for procurement.
Calling the Centre irresponsible and anti-farmer, and saying it was treating the State unfairly, he alleged that the Centre’s intention behind not procuring paddy in Rabi season clearly indicated its plan to surrender entire food systems and the interests of farmers to big corporates.He suggested that the Centre resume distribution of 5 kg rice to every household by procuring paddy from Telangana during Rabi and distributing that rice across the country.
Pointing out how farmers who were growing cotton on the State government’s advice were reaping rich dividends this Kharif due to high prices for cotton in the open market, he said farmers could go for oilseeds in Rabi.Clarifying on the incident in Kamareddy where a farmer died on the heap of paddy he had brought to the procurement centre after guarding the paddy for a week at the procurement centre, he said the farmer’s paddy had high moisture and after bringing it to the market, it had rained again, causing the delay in procurement.
Harish tells ryots to change crops they sow
Finance Minister T Harish Rao called on farmers to focus on crop change and end the cycle of cultivating the same crops. This was necessary in view of changing market conditions. He made these remarks on Saturday while inaugurating a Rythu Vedika at Chinnakodur mandal in Siddipet district. Addressing farmers, Harish said that as part of the crop rotation programme, sunflower seeds had been distributed to farmers across thousands of acres in Chinnakodur mandal. He asked scientists of the Indian Oilseeds Research Institute to train 700 farmers daily in sunflower cultivation and ensure good yields. Remarking that the country was losing `90,000 crore to foreign countries in oilseed production, Harish urged farmers and people’s representatives to promote palm oil plantations.
‘Centre irresponsible and anti-farmer’
Calling the Centre irresponsible and anti-farmer, the Agriculture Minister said the Centre’s intention behind not procuring paddy in Rabi season clearly indicated its plan to surrender entire food systems and the interests of farmers to big corporates