Delay in paddy procurement leaves farmers worried in Telangana’s erstwhile Medak district

The district has witnessed heavy rain coupled with hailstorms and strong winds at least seven times since the Yasangi paddy harvest commenced this year

Sangareddy: The inordinate delay in paddy procurement and unseasonal rain has left paddy farmers worried across the erstwhile Medak.

The district has witnessed heavy rain coupled with hailstorms and strong winds at least seven times since the Yasangi paddy harvest commenced this year. Due to lack of sufficient tarpaulins, paddy cleaners, hamalis, transportation vehicles and other facilities, the farmers were forced to wait for days at the procurement centres. While the farmers were drying the paddy with hours of effort, the rains have soaked the paddy, delaying the process of procurement.

The staff at procurement centres were refusing to purchase the paddy, citing moisture content. According to Civil Supplies and Agriculture department officials, they have opened 498, 419 and 238 paddy procurement centres in Medak, Siddipet and Sangareddy districts, respectively. The procurement centres in Medak district procured only 1.75 lakh metric tonnes against the estimated 3.90 lakh metric tonnes. With the monsoon approaching Telangana, expected to touch the State on June 4, the officials have the gigantic task of procuring more than 2.15 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Medak.

In Sangareddy district, the officials procured 70,000 metric tonnes of paddy against the estimated procurement of 1.30 lakh metric tonnes. There was nearly 30,000 metric tonnes of paddy in 238 procurement centres across the district, which the officials delayed citing moisture. Officials have also kept the purchased paddy at many procurement centres due to lack of vehicles to transport it to mills, while there are vehicles with loads of paddy waiting outside rice mills as well. The purchased rice is also being damaged due to rain.

The government was also delaying the deposit of amounts into farmers’ accounts. The farmers were forced to wait for nearly three weeks to get their money after selling the produce.

In Siddipet, 418 procurement centres have procured a little over 2.2 lakh metric tonnes against the estimated procurement of more than 5 lakh metric tonnes so far. According to officials, there was over 3 lakh metric tonnes of paddy harvest at procurement centres now. Every grain of the paddy was shifted to the procurement centres as the farmers have almost completed the harvesting of Yasangi paddy.

The officials have purchased Rs 515 crore worth of paddy so far, including both varieties. Nearly, payments to the tune of Rs 150 crore were still pending. Since the district was witnessing rain almost every day, the farmers were finding it difficult to protect their produce and dry them. Most of them have spent nearly a month at procurement centres after harvesting.