Farmers cry foul over falling Bengal gram prices

Anantapur: Bengal gram farmers in the district alleged here on Monday that the traders formed syndicate to deny them remunerative prices to their produce. They appealed to the State government to come to their rescue by announcing minimum support price. They demanded input subsidy to the commodity on the lines of the subsidy being given to groundnut crop.

The Bengal gram was cultivated in 90,000 hectares in 27 mandals this season after the farmers feeling encouraged by moderate rain fall in September and November. The total amount invested in raising the crop was about Rs 2.5 crore.

Later, the monsoon played truant. Each farmer invested at least Rs 10,000 an acre anticipating to get five quintals of yield an acre. However, in reality, the yield dropped miserably from a bag to half a bag an acre resulting in farmers sustaining severe losses.

The traders are lifting Bengal gram at the prevailing rates of Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 a quintal in the market. Later, they are reaping profits selling the commodity at a higher price. The commodity earlier fetched Rs 6,000 a quintal and later, it dropped to Rs 3000.

The farmers are expressing concern over the price not increasing in spite of a nosedive in the yield. According to the latest situation, the farmers have no option except to make a distress sale. Blaming the traders for forming into a syndicate, the farmers said that the crop, raised spending thousands of rupees, had let them down and sought succour from the government.