With no crop loans, scheme benefits, tenant farmers likely to skip farming this Kharif in Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: The financial condition of tenant farmers in erstwhile Mahbubnagar is in a pathetic condition as they are not recognised by the government and thus not eligible for Rythu Bandhu scheme benefits and also for crop loans.

With this, as many as 26,700 tenant farmers in erstwhile Mahbubnagar are facing tough time during this Kharif season and going from pillar to post to get loans from private lenders.

As per 2016 official statistics, there are about 6,500 tenant farmers in Mahbubnagar and Narayanpet, about 5,400 in Nagarkurnool, and 10,600 in Jogulamba-Gadwal. The Wanaparthy district is having the lowest number of tenant farmers accounting to 4,800.

According to agriculture experts, these numbers are only official numbers as in reality the numbers could be two or three times more. In fact, the farmers who go for tenant farming hold less than 2-3 acres and are completely dependent on agriculture for their sustenance. To get more substantial benefit, they are taking up tenant farming by paying Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per acre for the lands belonging to other landlords who are not much into farming.

"I have taken about 9 acres of land on rent and paid Rs 2,500 per acre. In the first year, we invested around Rs 2 lakh and got a good return of around Rs 3 lakh from the maize crop. We could recover our investment conformably. However, in the past two consecutive years, the rains are not proper and we have incurred a huge debt of around Rs 4 lakh. This year, we are in a dilemma as we are not getting loans from private lenders and also the Rythu Bandhu scheme benefits," said Kadavath Peethya Nayak, a tenant farmer from Shankarayapally Thanda of Jadcherla mandal.

Even 2.79 lakh small and medium scale farmers in erstwhile Mahbubnagar are also facing the same problem as the Rythu Bandhu scheme benefits are given to them as per the land holdings. Most of them have very less land and the scheme money they get is meagre.

"I have two acres of land and I got just 10,000 as input capital, which is not sufficient to sow either dry crop or paddy. We are looking for bank loans. But bankers are not giving us the loans," said Redya Kehtavath of Tummalkunta village in Jadcherla mandal.

While these farmers are facing financial hurdles due to meagre or no benefits from the government schemes, the delay in rains have also aggravated their problem. They are in utter confusion as they are not able to decide themselves either to go for farming or abandon it.