Adilabad: Government remains mum as red gram farmers fall prey to private traders

Adilabad: The dreams of farmers of Adilabad, who had cultivated the red gram owing to bountiful rains, are being shattered with the involvement of middlemen who are forcing them to sell their produce at meagre rates. Last year, the government has announced a support price of Rs 6,000 per quintal and made the purchase through MarkFed. However, with the government not making any announcement of support price and procurement even after a month into the harvest, the farmers are worried about the sale.

As a result, the farmers of Adilabad, Nirmal, Kumram Bheem Asifabad are selling their red gram produce to private traders at cheaper rates. Especially the lack of government procurement centres in the districts is pushing the farmers towards the hasty sale. In Adilabad and Asifabad districts, the red gram is cultivated in above 3 lakh acres. With the government not announcing the procurement, the farmers are selling their produce to private traders and middlemen at throwaway prices, with some selling a quintal of red gram at just Rs 1,000.

Unlike red gram, there is a good support price for soya beans. The farmers who have cultivated the soya beans are selling their produce to private traders who are offering them more than the support price. With the implementation of new farm laws, soybean farmers have started selling in other parts of Maharashtra. However, the farmers of red gram are selling the crop below Rs 6,000 per quintal in Adilabad, Echoda, Indravelli, Utnoor, Narnoor Asifabad, Jainoor and Kagaznagar markets to the middlemen.

Speaking to The Hans India, a farmer, Goli Suresh, said that as the government had not made any announcement on procurement through market committees so far, he had sold his red gram crop to private traders at Rs 5,000 per quintal and even at Rs 1,000 per quintal. "The private traders were not ready to pay Rs 6,000 per quintal. So, I was forced to sell my produce at a lower price. Taking the advantage of government's nonchalance, the private traders are looting the farmers," he rued. Several farmers request the government to intervene and procure their crop at a reasonable price.

Meanwhile, a marketing officer said that they have not received any instruction on the procurement of red gram from the government so far.