Farmers pitch for red gram board

​Tandur: A long cherished dream of red gram farmers of having a board in the town has been shattered once again. The farmers expressed ire against TRS Chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), who had promised to establish a board during 2014 poll campaign. Nothing happened in the last four-and-a-half years of the TRS rule, they said. 

Tandur red gram is a brand at national level. Its taste is attributed to the soil and climatic conditions of the mandal. Farmers were earning profits by cultivating the crop in hundreds of hectares of land. But according to agricultural experts, the farmers lack scientific approach and technical expertise in cultivation and marketing strategy for their produce. The establishment of a board will increase their ability in increasing the crop and opening doors to overseas business from Tandur, they opined. 

Besides, the board will be able to do research on crop varieties and seeds with funds allotted by the government. Scientists at university will conduct field tours and advise farmers on protecting crops from pests and on getting bumper harvests. After coming to know about the benefits of having a board, the farmers impressed upon public representatives to set up one for them. 

The candidates made it a habit to mention the establishment of board during their campaigns. Farmers fell for the tall claims made by the politicians in every election on establishing a board. But the winners never honoured their promises. With the recent release of election notifications, the issue has come to the fore. 

But none of the parties have raised the issue of establishing a board yet either in their speeches or manifestos, the farmers lamented. They said that they would teach the parties a befitting lesson in the upcoming polls.