Mahbubnagar: Farmers face trouble as millers reject to buy paddy over moisture

Mahbubnagar: Paddy farmers in the district are facing problems as the millers were not accepting to take the paddy procured by Primary Agriculture Cooperative societies (PACS) on the pretext of excess moisture content.

Because of this, thousands of farmers are in trouble as their stocks were either left in the market yards or loaded on the vehicles. Some farmers at Jadcherla market tried to shift stocked paddy procured by PACS in their own tractors to the rice mills but the millers rejected to accept the produce citing excess moisture content. Another problem faced by the farmers was platform. The PACS authorities were purchasing tons of paddy from the farmers at market yards but the procured paddy was kept on the platform only due to non-availability of lorries for transportation. Due to this, other farmers have to wait for the platforms to be cleared. Some farmers were even waiting for two days for market platforms to be cleared. A farmer Ramchandra Nayak said that they were requesting the marketing authorities and civil supplies officials to send in more lorries so that the procured paddy crop is shifted to the millers and give way for others to sell their produce.

On Sunday also, farmers at Jadcherla market yard faced many problems as the stocks were still left on the platforms not letting others to come to the market yard to procure paddy. As the market yard was already saturated, the farmers were demanding to open up more procurement centers in other areas in the surrounding villages, so that there is no need for the farmers to come to Jadcherla market yard and get jammed.

However, the marketing authorities informed that they were trying to make sure the stocks were shifted to the mills and godowns as early as possible in the next one to two days. They urged the farmers to wait for one or two days to sell their produce to avoid chaotic situation at the market yards.