Karnataka farmers flock to procurement centres

Narayanpet: As the paddy and cotton harvesting season is going on in full swing, the State government has started the procurement process and has set up procurement and purchase centres across various mandals and village headquarters in and around Narayanpet district, to facilitate local farmers in selling their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) offered by the government.

However, a unique challenge has emerged for district authorities as farmers from Karnataka are also bringing their crops to these centres, taking advantage of Telangana’s higher support prices.

Unlike Karnataka, where the MSP for paddy is lower, Telangana is offering an additional Rs 500 bonus on its MSP for “RNR fine paddy and other Fine Rice varieties of Paddy.” This incentive has encouraged many Karnataka farmers from border areas to cross into Telangana, entering through the Krishna Check Post, and sell their produce for a better price.

In response to this situation, Narayanpet District Collector Sikta Patnaik has directed strict vigilance at border checkpoints, instructing officials to prevent non-local produce from entering Telangana markets.

On Tuesday, District Collector Sikta Patnaik visited multiple government procurement centres in Maktal constituency, overseeing the purchase process first-hand. Her inspection included stops at a cotton mill procurement centre in Tipras Palli village and paddy centers in Maganur and Gudeballur. During her visit, she checked various procedures including vehicle entry records, moisture content checks, Aadhaar-linked fingerprint authentication, and the OTP verification process for farmers.

The Collector also emphasised transparency, advising procurement centre staff to follow strict guidelines and avoid any manipulations. Additionally, some farmers requested field moisture checks for wheat, to which she responded that the grain must be brought directly to purchase centres for testing.

Meanwhile, to secure fair distribution of the Rs 500 bonus and prevent benefits from leaking to non-local farmers, the Collector has instructed officials at the Krishna border check post to enhance monitoring efforts.

Present for the inspection were District Agriculture Officer John Sudhakar, Tehsildar Krishna Dayakar Reddy, Market Secretary Bharti, and other revenue staff, all working to ensure a smooth procurement season for Telangana’s farmers.