Farmers unhappy with cultivation of pulses

Srikakulam: Farmers are not happy and lost interest in cultivating pulses like black gram and green gram during the rabi season. Due to the adverse climatic conditions like thick mist and a cloudy sky, yields had been affected to a large extent. Adding to the woes of the farmers, middlemen and traders are exploiting them by quoting low prices for their produce in the wake of the government’s inability to purchase the produce at minimum support price (MSP).

Black gram and green gram crops are being cultivated in 75 lakh acres across the district during the current rabi season. Farmers invested Rs 2,500 for cultivation of pulses in one acre but they are unable to get good yields due to adverse climatic conditions and reasonable price.

The state government declared Rs 8,500 as MSP for black gram and Rs 7,200 for green gram per quintal. But middlemen and traders at the village and mandal level are quoting low price as Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 for both varieties of produce. Lack of purchasing centres from the government’s side and financial needs have forced to farmers to sell off their produce at a low price.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Wednesday, Assistant Director for Marketing YV Shyam Kumar and District Manager for AP Marketing Federation (APMF) S Kishore Kumar said: “There are no instructions to us to set up purchasing centres even at the agricultural marketing centres (AMCs) or at other locations like mills”.