Lack of adequate warehouses troubles Nagarkurnool farmers

Mahbubnagar: The farmers in Nagarkurnool district are facing tough time due lack of adequate warehouse facilities at the market yards across various mandals in the district. As there are no proper safe stocking points or proper godowns, the farmers are forced to sell their agriculture produce to the traders at low prices, eventually incurring losses.

"With the release of KLIS irrigation water, a majority of farmers in the district are taking up paddy cultivation. In the past two years, the district has been witnessing large quantities of paddy coming to the markets. However, in the markets, the farmers are selling their produce to whatever price quoted on that day. Usually, if large quantities of paddy come to the markets, the supply increases and the demand falls, causing price erosion. However, if there are good storage points and warehouses, the farmers would stock their produce until the demand rises and would sell it to earn good returns. But unfortunately, the Nagarkurnool district does not have adequate stocking points in the market yards," observed Chandu, a farmer from Nagarkurnool.

Even though the State government had constructed about 17 warehouses in various mandal headquarters, it has leased the warehouses leased to Markfed officials. Further, a few of them are located at inaccessible areas, far away from market yards, where it is tough for the farmers to transport their produce as there is no proper road facility connecting them.

As a result, the farmers are forced to stock their produce in the open at agriculture market yards, exposing to the wrath of rains. "Even though there are some warehouses in the market yards, there is no proper awareness among the farmers that they can utilise those godowns for stocking their produce for some time and later, they can retrieve it and sell it for better price by paying nominal rents. The agriculture department has failed to take up awareness programmes for the farmers with regard to stocking and marketing of their produce. And it is because of lack of proper marketing knowledge, the farmers are losing heavily," added another farmer.

A majority of farmers are alleging that the government has built a few warehouses but they are of no use and left unused for the last many years, as there are no proper road facilities and some located on hilltops. For instance, the warehouse in Bijinepally mandal was built on a hill and does not have proper road facility, because of which it is left unused for many years now.

Another warehouse at Timmajipet is leased to Markfed officials last year and still has maize crop stocked in it. In Achampet, merchants have stocked groundnut in the warehouse. The warehouse in Indrakal village of Tanduru mandal is built on a hill and it is also not used.

The State government is now building two warehouses in Pentalvelly and Urkonda and currently they are under various stages of their construction. Overall, the farmers are urging the government to build more warehouses and help them get access to these storage houses by building proper roads and providing transportation.