Castor farmers decry slash in selling price, stage road blockade in Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: The castor farmers in Devarakadra mandal of Mahbubnagar district took to streets and staged a road blockade demanding better market price for their castor crop on Monday. According to the protesting farmers, it is alleged that the marketing department officials in connivance with traders and middlemen have reduced the prices of castor from Rs 5,000 per quintal a few days ago to Rs 4,000 per quintal causing huge loss to poor farmers.

"Last year, we faced huge losses due to reduced yields of maize crop. However, this year we have grown castor as it is a commercial crop, and were expecting good returns as castor is in huge demand fetching Rs 5,000 per quintal. But unfortunately, the marketing officials and traders are playing with our lives and offering reduced prices for the produce," said a protesting farmer.

The farmers demanded the government to immediately intervene and direct the marketing and agriculture departments in the district to take steps to provide Minimum Support Price of Rs 5,000 per quintal to castor, otherwise they would intensify their agitation until the government concedes to their demands. Meanwhile, the road blockade near the Devarkadra market yard led to huge traffic jam on the national highway 167 where in the vehicles and buses were stranded up to a distance of one kilometre on either side.