Telangana Govt crusade goes berserk over pulses

​Hyderabad: The Telangana government which gave big thumbs-up to the cultivation of pulses discouraging cotton last kharif appears to have failed to ensure minimum support price (MSP) to the farmers.

This, despite the government’s efforts to procure the red gram by setting up 68 procurement centres through Markfed and FCI.

Alongside, the Centre’s plans to achieve pulses’ self-sufficiency, the state also supported cultivation of pulses while discouraging the farmers from taking up cotton. As a result, the area under pulses’ cultivation has increased to 5.74 lakh hectares as against normal area of 4.04 lakh hectares.

Of which, red gram was sown in 3.85 lakh hectares and green gram in 1.44 lakh hectares. Against this backdrop, the red gram farmers who expected a good price this season left in the lurch with the procurement authorities refusing to purchase their produce.

This has invariably forced the farmers to approach the private traders to sell their crop. Taking advantage of this, the traders were offering anywhere around Rs 4,000 a quintal against the Rs 5,050 MSP.

Infuriated by this, some farmers allegedly attacked the procurement officials in the Janagaon Market Yard a couple of days ago. Following this, the officials stopped procurement of red gram.

While farmers allege that authorities refusing their crop in the name of high moisture content, quality and presence of husk, the officials say that they had to follow the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms and has nothing against the farmers.

Bashipaka Raju, red gram farmer from Nelapogula village under Lingala Ghanpur mandal in Janagaon district, said: “I am waiting for the last three days to sell my crop but to no avail. Officials refused to purchase my crop citing poor quality.”

Janagaon Market Yard secretary Kota Nageswara Sharma told The Hans India: “The FCI centre here has so far procured 4,281 quintals this season. Following an altercation between farmers and procurement staff, the FCI stopped purchases two days ago.

However, with the intervention of Joint Collector J Gopala Krishna Prasad, the authorities restored the purchases on Saturday.”

Rythu Sangham Janagaon district secretary Moku Kanaka Reddy said: “With the procurement authorities refusing to purchase the crop citing various reasons, farmers had to sell their produce to private traders at around Rs 4,000 a quintal.”

The situation is similar in Khammam and Warangal districts as the purchases have not picked up yet. Adilabad Market Yard secretary A Adellu said the Markfed had begun procurement of red gram on January 10 and so far purchased 3,500 quintals.

According to Khammam Market Yard secretary P Prasad Rao, purchase of the commodity started on January 20 and the Markfed lifted 3 quintals on the first day.

Congress Legislature Party Deputy Leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said: “The state may have set up procurement centres but without a proper monitoring mechanism in place, farmers will never be benefited.

The government should also increase the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) fund to utilise it in case of glut in production or fall in prices.”

Warangal Enumamula Market Yard secretary Ajmeera Raju said: “With the arrivals yet to pick up, the yard has witnessed arrival of just 1,792 quintals of red gram. Of which, the authorities purchased 436 quintals and the rest by private traders.

Meanwhile, the farmers urged the Minister for Irrigation and Marketing T Harish Rao, who visited the market yard on Saturday, to procure all the produce identifying it under A and B Grades with a price variation of Rs 200.