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Traders use truck strike as pretext to cut paddy prices :
Traders on the pretext of the lorry strike have slashed the paddy price in their efforts to push the farmers to the wall. Citing zero exports to southern states due to trouble from agitating lorry operators, the traders have resorted to exploiting the farmer taking advantage of the strike.
Nellore: Traders on the pretext of the lorry strike have slashed the paddy price in their efforts to push the farmers to the wall. Citing zero exports to southern states due to trouble from agitating lorry operators, the traders have resorted to exploiting the farmer taking advantage of the strike.
In the district, a single crop of paddy—very late in the kharif season—was raised in an extent of eight lakh hectares. The paddy was ready for harvesting in Penna delta and at some other places and the harvested paddy was stored in drying yards. The yield is predicted to be at least 23 lakh puttys.
Highlights:
- A putty of paddy should fetch at least Rs 22,000 to Rs 25,000 if kg Masuri rice is sold at Rs 50
- But, traders reduced price of putty to Rs 11,000 to Rs 13,000 from Rs 17,000-19,000
One putty is equal to 850 kg. According to farmers Raghavaiah, Ramanamma and Kappala Venkateswarlu of Alluru, they have no facility to store the paddy. Annually, the state government ropes in Indira Kranti Patham, DRDA, Civil Supplies Corporation and the Food Corporation of India to lift paddy from the farmers.
However, this year their role appears to be only nominal. Taking advantage of the sticky situation of the farmers, the traders and middlemen are out to exploit them. Citing the lorry strike, they reduced the paddy price from Rs 17,000-19,000 for a putty of the paddy to Rs 11,000 to Rs 13,000. The farmer has to suffer a loss of up to Rs 5000 per putty.
The cumulative loss to the farmer by way of fall in prices is put at Rs 150 crore. In fact, there is no need for the traders to slash the prices in the wake of the strike by lorry operators. At this hour of the year, harvesting of paddy is ruled out in other states and districts.
Going by the open market price of Masuri rice, which is selling at Rs 50 or Rs 60 a kg, a putty of the paddy should fetch at least Rs 22,000 to Rs 25,000. The paddy is purchased in the district to the contrary of this. The official machinery is falling short of responding to the situation and come to the rescue of the farmers.
V Narasimhulu
