Kadapa Paddy farmers seek Minimum Support Price; urge government to set up purchase centres

Kadapa: The farmers cultivating paddy in Kadapa district are in a fix as the district administration is yet to establish Paddy Purchasing Centers (PPCs). The farmers generally harvest the crop from the first week of April and complete by the end of month. Last year, the district administration has set up 17 PPCs in the district and farmers got Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.

But this time the official machinery is busy dealing with the outbreak of coronavirus leaving the farmers in the lurch. The farmers have grown paddy varieties like 'Nellore Sannalu, Jai Sri Ram, Jagityala Jilakarra, No 555 and other varieties in the mandals of Sidhavatam, Mydukuru, Yerranguntla, Chapadu, Rayachoti, Proddaturu, Badvel and Kamalapuram in around 45,000 hectares as against the total 3 lakh hectares of the total crop area in the district. Like every year, they proposed to take up harvesting in the first week of April and conclude it by the end of month. Last year in the same season, the farmers sold a Putty of paddy (860 kg) between Rs 15,000 and 16,000 as they got the expected MSP by transporting the produce to outside areas with the support of the government. But this time the situation is entirely different as the millers are bargaining with the farmers to pay only Rs 11,000 in the wake of coronavirus.In the absence of PPCs, the farmers are compelled to sell their produce to the millers at throwaway price. And moreover the transportation of paddy on lorries has become another financial burden to the farmers. The lorry owners are demanding high charges because the vehicles may be stranded in traffic for days together on the highways.

"We are not blaming the government as it is really in a critical situation. Everybody is feeling insecure due to coronavirus. But at the same time the government should understand our problem and purchase the produce by providing MSP like neighbouring Telangana State", M Radha Krishna Reddy of Atluru mandal told The Hans India.