Guntur: Slump in prices of banana hits farmers

Guntur: The farmers in Tulluru, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri mandals in Guntur district are suffering huge loss as they are unable to harvest the produce due to lockdown and non-availability of transport facilities and workers.

Banana, maize, yam and lemon crops are ready for harvest. Farmers are unable to find farm workers to harvest the crop. Transport vehicles are not allowed into villages though the government issued orders directing the officials to issue permission for trucks carrying agriculture produce.

Farmers are pushed from pillar to post when they approach the Revenue officials for permits to the vehicles to transport agriculture produce. The Revenue officials are asking the farmers to the CRDA officials and the CRDA officials directing them back to the Revenue officials, In some cases the farmers are asked to approach the officials of the Horticulture Department.

According to farmers, banana was transported to Calcutta, Mumbai, Gujarat and Maharashtra from Tadepalli and Mangalagiri in the past. Due to lack of transport facilities, the farmers could not export banana this year. As a result, the banana price fell to Rs3,000 per tonne from Rs.10,000.

Similarly, maize price fell to Rs1,400 per quintal from Rs 2,500 per quintal. There is no demand for yam in the villages. One hundred lemons are selling at Rs 50 due to lack of demand.

The farmers demanded that the government purchase banana, yam, maize and lemon in the three CRDA mandals to extend a helping hand to them. Rayapudi Primary, Agriculture Cooperative Society president, Mallela Harindranath Chowdary demanded that the government purchase bananas, yam, flowers, turmeric and lemon stocks from the farmers immediately. He urged the government to take steps to get better price for banana, lemon, maize and yam immediately.

Deputy director of Horticulture N Sujatha said, "At present there is no restriction on transport of bananas and other agriculture produce. The farmers are transporting banana stocks to Odisha. The lemon price is falling due to poor demand and so is the case with banana the price of which has been falling. The farmers may keep yam stock and turmeric in cold storage units. Due to Coronavirus, agriculture workers are not allowed into villages."