KARIMNAGAR/NIZAMABAD: Sleep evaded Karimnagar farmers on Monday night as heavy rains pounded the district without warning. Most of their paddy produce stored at procurement centres was soaked in rainwater on Tuesday and they spent the whole day separating dry and wet paddy, hoping against hope that the market officials would eventually buy their crop.
Delay in procurement
The farmers who had brought their produce to the Mahatmanagar procurement centre in the district alleged that the authorities had been delaying the purchase citing high moisture content in their paddy. They have been waiting for procurement for nearly a week now. Speaking to Express, a farmer named Vadlakonda Chandraiah, who had brought his paddy to the market about a week ago, said: “Officials delayed the procurement of my paddy stating that its moisture content was high. Now, half of it is soaked in rainwater. If they had bought it from me earlier, this would not have happened.”
He added that the State and Central governments should sort out their issues amongst themselves and not put farmers in a spot. Another farmer couple at the centre had a similar story to tell. “We were trying to get our produce dried but look where that got us now,” said Anusha, pointing to her crop soaked in water. She said that the paddy cleaner at the market yard was defunct and claimed that was one of the reasons for the delay in procurement.
Meanwhile, the in-charge of Porandla Society Procurement Centre Ch Raju said that paddy was being procured from farmers on a priority basis. “Produce with moisture content below 17 per cent will be lifted immediately,” he said. Paddy was damaged in Thimmapur, Mogilipalem and Alugunur in Karimnagar district, and Thagallapalli in Rajanna-Sircilla district on Monday. Unseasonal rains in parts of Nizamabad and Kamareddy had also caught the districts’ farmers off-guard. Their paddy was damaged while it was being dried at several purchasing centres and agricultural fields.
Farmers stage protest
Upset over the delay in procurement, a group of farmers staged a protest on National Highway 44 at Adluru on Tuesday. Police and revenue officials rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators. Nizamabad Additional Collector B Chandrasekhar Rao, however, said that farmers should bring their paddy to procurement centres only after drying it. “There’s no relaxation on the percentage of moisture content in paddy,” he said.
Mancherial yet to start procurement
ADILABAD: Paddy procurement is yet to begin in Mancherial district. The delay is worrying farmers who have already brought their produce to procurement centres. Additional Collector Madhusudhan Naik, in a statement on November 11, had said that 198 centres would procure paddy in the district.
He had instructed the officials concerned to coordinate with the farmers and ensure speedy procurement of their produce. But nothing has been done so far. Last year too, paddy procurement at nearly 200 centres were delayed in the district. Farmers who have brought their produce to market yards are now worried about the weather