Cut in paddy price over moisture flayed

Eluru: The AP Rythu Sangham has objected to cut in the support price of paddy on the pretext of excessive moisture content. A team of the sangham inspected paddy in the fields in the mandal and concluded that the farmers were being denied the support price over the moisture content. Though the guidelines allow farmers to sell the paddy with moisture content of 17 per cent, the officials at the paddy purchase centres have been rejecting the crop citing moisture as reason.

The farmers have been returning from the purchase centres without selling their produce, alleged the sangham leader Srinivas. He said that farmers have been drying the crop as directed by the officials to reduce the moisture content. He alleged that the paddy purchase centre staff have been echoing the voice of middlemen, commission agents and millers who have been asking for paddy with less moisture content.

Srinivas said that the farmers have not benefitted at all as the support price was less than the production cost. He wanted to raise the support price to Rs 2,500 per quintal of paddy to suit the convenience of the farmers.