Low MSP, traders syndicate hit groundnut ryots below the belt

Mahbubnagar: With traders offering very low price for the groundnut crop this season, the farmers across erstwhile Mahbubnagar district are facing tough time to recover their input costs. Neither traders nor the government is coming forward to provide better price for the groundnut crop leaving them in lurch.

It may be recalled that the majority of the farmers have sown groundnut instead of paddy as it requires less water. However, the recent unseasonal rains have wreaked havoc on the crop bringing down its quality.

Taking the quality aspect as the advantage, the traders are fixing the prices as low as Rs 4,000 per quintal and not even offering the Minimum Support Price of Rs 4,500 fixed by the State government last year.

Jangareddy, president, Telangana State Farmers Association while inspecting the groundnut crop brought by the farmers at the Nagarkurnool market yard demanded the government to immediately come forward to the rescue of farmers in the State and urged the officials to enhance the MSP from Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 and beyond.
Earlier, though the farmers have petitioned to the local legislators and marketing officials, there is no response from the government to provide better price for the groundnut crop in the district.

Meanwhile, this season it is estimated that more than one lakh quintals of groundnut is expected to arrive at the various markets of Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Mahbubnagar districts. Particularly, in Nagarkurnool district, the market yards of Kalwakurthy, Achampet, Kollapur and Nagarkurnool together have produced around 42,000 quintals of groundnut crop during this season.

“We thought that we would get Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per quintal from the buyers as the quality of the crop is quite good this time. However, all our hopes are dashed as there is no demand for the crop as the traders have formed syndicate and not coming forward to provide better price for our produce. We have invested in good amounts and it is becoming tough to recover our investments at the present rate offered,” said Banavath Narasimha, a farmer from Korlakunta village of Veepanagandla village in Wanaparthy district.

Until a few years ago, the groundnut farmers used to sell the crop up to Rs 6,000-7,000 per quintal. Ever since the traders from other States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Punjab have stopped coming to the district for buying the groundnut crop, the local traders are cashing in on the aspect and quoting lower prices forcing the farmers to sell the crop at a cheaper rate.
Nagarkurnool district marketing officer Balamani said that they were taking steps for buying the crop at minimum support price and claimed that the farmers got Rs 3,600 per quintal to Rs 4,600 per quintal from the buyers. “We have already spoken with the traders and buyers to offer MSP to all farmers and for those whose crop is having better quality, they will be given better price,” said the District Marketing Officer.