Amalapuram: Agriculture operations suspended due to cyclone threat

Amalapuram(Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district): Owing to the impending threat of Cyclone Mandous, the farmers of Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district have suspended their agriculture operations temporarily. Due to the cyclone threat, the Agriculture department officials suggested the farmers suspend their agriculture operations until December 10. Certain farmers are expressing anguish over the non-availability of data online in Rythu Bharosa Kendras in the Konaseema district. Even though they have completed their harvest and filled the gunny bags with paddy grain they are unable to hand over them in the RBKs as their data is not uploaded and they are in a dilemma. They are asking why the government failed to upload through online. They are demanding for the free supply of gunny bags.

Speaking to The Hans India, District Civil Supplies Manager K Tulasi said that the Konaseema district ranks top in the state in the matter of procurement of paddy and payment made towards the paddy amounting to Rs 141.68 crore to the farmers. She said that they expected to produce 3.28 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during this Kharif season. She said that 80 per cent of the harvesting has been completed in the district and rest of the 20 percent harvesting has been stopped due to the threat of the cyclone.. She said that so far 1, 59, 796 metric tonnes of paddy worth Rs 325.82 crore was purchased from 32,395 farmers in the district. She said that so far Rs 141.68 crore has been paid to the farmers in the district.

Agriculture officials stated that the farmers need not worry as the government pays charges towards transportation and labour charges. They admitted that the data is not uploaded due to technical problems in RBKs. But still they are striving to rectify the technical snag and shortly they are going to solve the problem. They further commented that the transport charges are not paid, if paddy bags are brought through bullock carts. But the transport charges are paid in other districts for bullock cart owners. They also stated that the roads are in good condition. Bullock carts can be replaced by tractors and transport charges will be paid to the registered tractor owners.

District Collector Himanshu Shukla inspected the RBKs along with officials at Bheemanapalli and Vilasavilli of Uppalagupatam mandal. He said that the paddy for Kharif crop would be purchased from all RBKs in the district. Collector interacted with the farmers and sought to know their problems. He also enquired from the officials about the transport and hamali charges and other details.