Farmers' associations demand govt support to procure paddy

Nellore: Farmers associations in the district appealed to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to procure all the paddy harvest from the farmers in the district. They said the Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised to allocate Rs 3,000 crore as revolving fund and buy all the crops from the farmers. Stating that 12 lakh metric tonnes of paddy will be harvested this season, they said in Nellore district, paddy was cultivated in 6 lakh acres in late kharif and BPT, Nellore Jillakara Masuri, RNR (Sugarless) varieties were cultivated in the highest area. The Centre announced the price of normal type of paddy is Rs 2,020 per quintal, putti paddy Rs 17,340 and A-Grade Rs 2,060 per quintal and putti at Rs 17,510. They said the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala are giving an additional subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal but there is no such provision in the state.

It has been 15 days since the harvesting began in the district this season. Initially, millers offer between Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 per putty over the support price fixed by the government, in addition to sugarless and BPT varieties, for the last two days. In this situation, millers from other states are attending and buying the paddy stocks.

Local millers have managed the millers of other states and they have come and purchased. Local millers now interacted with them and asked them to reduce the price by Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 and take an additional 100 kg from the farmers. As a result, the price has come down in the last two days and the previous situation prevailed.

The district authorities have announced that they will buy 1.60 lakh metric tonnes by starting 124 centres and get 140 mills ready, and the process hasn't started yet in many places. But there are not enough staff in Rythu Bharosa Kendras. Not even 70 per cent of EKYC registration hasn't been completed till now.

Earlier, the farmers face a lot of difficulties in selling the crop. Hence, the District Farmers Association appealed to the State government to allow the farmers to sell their produce as they like. "Paddy in the district has 17 per cent moisture and by showing the moisture percentage, millers have become accustomed to buying at a lower price than the support price by taking more around 100 kg of paddy from the farmers. Therefore, the government should relax the moisture percentage to 20 per cent and buy the entire stocks without reducing the price and the burden of additional quantity," demanded P Sriramulu, district president of the AP Rythu Sangham.