Purchasing centres not yet opened, farmers anxious

Nizamabad/Kamareddy: Though farmers of both Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts got high yields from dry crops this Kharif, they are worried as the government not yet established purchase centres at market yards.

The dry crop yields will reach the farmer's houses in next 10 days. They are expecting high yields from black gram, green gram, soybeans and maize crops. But the farmers are anxious as the government has yet to declare the minimum support price (MSP).

The officials of agriculture department took steps to set up purchasing centres in Kamareddy district to purchase green gram and didn't opened centres to purchase other crops.

The farmers of both the districts are in quandary whether the government will purchase maize or not as it didn't procured maize even during the last Rabi season.

Maize has been cultivated in about 60,870 acres in Nizamabad district and 75,000 acres in Kamareddy during in the present Kharif season.

Though the government had announced Rs 1,700 MSP for maize, the traders paid Rs 2,100 per quintal to farmers. Traders have been purchasing crops at a higher price from the farmers for the last two seasons due to low yield.

The price of maize was plummeted by Rs 100 per quintal in the last week as the yield is high now.

Soybean is cultivated in about 1.92 lakh acres in both Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts. Markfed is in the process of buying the produce through Primary Cooperative Societies.

Soybean MSP is Rs 3,710 per quintal but its price in the open market will not exceed Rs 2,800 per quintal. Green gram purchasing centres are being opened in Bichkunda, Jukkal, Madnoor and Pitlam zones in Kamareddy district.

Farmers wanted setting up of a purchase centre in Nizamabad Agriculture Market. At present, the price of green gram is Rs 7,050 per quintal as the price was increased by Rs 75.

But in Maharashtra, the price of black gram was increased by Rs 100. At present, the price of black gram is Rs 5,700 per quintal.