Paddy Minimum Support Price hike not adequate, lament farmers

Kadapa: The announcement made by Central government hiking Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the paddy disappointed farmers a lot as it was very less compared to steep increase in input costs. 

As per the new tariff MSP is paid at Rs 1,770 for A grade against Rs 1590, and Rs 1,750 against Rs 1,550 for B grade paddy per quintal. It means Rs 180 on A grade, Rs 200 on B grade has been increased.

According to the report submitted by Agriculture Expenditure and Cost Commission (AE&CC) Chairman Acharya Vijaya Gopala Sharma at South  Indian  States Regional Conference (SISRC)  recently in New Delhi,  farmer has to spend Rs 27,000 to cultivate in 1 acre following skyrocketing prices of seeds, power tariff, fertilizers, pesticides, and cost of labour charges. 

Farmers maintain that they have to spend Rs 29,000 per acre as investment cost. They  have to go to other districts for purchasing paddy seeds due to lack of Agriculture Research Station (ARS) in Kadapa district. They have to spend huge amounts for installing bore wells as they are forced to dig for not less than 1000 feet to get water. They are purchasing fertilisers in black market.  

Cultivation of paddy has become problematic as there are no hopes of getting MSP because of huge investments. We are selling the produce at cheaper rates to the middle men  due to lack of Paddy Purchasing Centres (PPC). Fertilisers in the government stores are only available for farmers performing corporate cultivation,” said A. Ramakota Reddy of N Obulayalapalli village of Mydukuru mandal.  

Another farmer P.Venkata Krishna Reddy of PP Kunta  in Gopavaram mandal said  he had  invested about Rs 29,000 to cultivate paddy in one acre. He was forced to sell the produce at cheaper rates. `` I have sold ‘Nellore jilakara between Rs 8,000 Rs 8,500 per quintal as against Rs 1,550 MSP announced by the government in the last Rabi season. 

Farmers have grown paddy varieties like ‘Nellore Sannalu, Jai Sri ram, Jagityala Jilakara  555 variety in the mandals like Sidhavatam, Mydukuru, Yerrnguntla, Chapadu, Rayachoti, Proddaturu, Badvel etc mandals around in around 45,000 hectors as  against total 3 lakh hectors crop area  under reservoirs, bore wells , rain fed tanks in the in the last Kharief. It is proposed to cultivate in 23,970 acres in current Rabi season. 

When contacted by Hans India  Federation of Farmers Association (FFA) state general secretary K.Koti Reddy said  the latest  MSP announced by the central government is not  reasonable compared to  abnormal increase in investment costs for paddy.