Hyderabad: The drought has dealt a double blow to farmers in the state. After their crop was destroyed by the extended dry spell, farmers are now losing their cattle due to acute shortage of fodder.
Farmers are being forced to shell out Rs 25,000 for a truckload of paddy straw against the normal price of '8,000. Unable to afford fodder, farmers are resorting to distress sale of their cattle and milch animals.
According to reports obtained by the agriculture and animal husb-andry department, distress sale of cattle was witnessed in Medak, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Karimnagar and Nizamabad. The reasons were found to be severe shortage of fodder, its high prices and farmers trying to clear their debts by selling cattle.
The reports said that in Medak district alone, nearly six lakh livestock was sold, while it was two lakh in Nizamabad, 1.5 lakh in Mahbubnagar and one lakh cattle in Karimnagar district.
Department officials said that the situation would only worsen by the summer. They said there were chances that fodder would become unavailable due to severe drought in several parts of the country.
According to official data, Telangana has 25 lakh milch animals. Each animal needs 30 kg of green fodder every day but farmers are not in a position to provide even 10 kg due to the shortage and high prices.
Agriculture and animal husbandry minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said that the government had drafted contingency plans to tackle the situation in summer.
“The government will supply fodder seeds to farmers at subsidised rates besides procuring fodder from other states. It is also planning to give wages to labourers to cut the grass under the NREGS. The situation is alarming but it could be overcome with sustained efforts,” he said.
Farmers are increasingly depending on dry fodder supplies being made through trucks and tractors by some traders. Earlier, a tractor trolley load of dry fodder was supplied for Rs 3,000. It now costs over Rs 7,000.
Two farmers commit suicide as crops fail
Two farmers allegedly committed suicide in different parts of the state due to crop failure and financial burdens.
G. Bheemaiah of Mahabubnagar hanged himself from a tree in his field on Sunday. Bheemaiah, 50, a native of Pedda Elkicherla village in Kondurg mandal, owned two acres of land.
Besides, he had leased three acres land and sown maize. The crop withered due to lack of rain, leaving him staring at a Rs 2 lakh debt.
In an another incident, G. Basi Reddy, 47, of Khaleelpur in Nyalkal mandal, who owned 5.2 acres, hanged himself on Sunday. He had borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh to dig a borewell and '4 lakh for his daughter’s marriage.
The sugarcane that he had grown last year on one acre was pending crushing, and this year’s crop dried up due to the failure of the monsoon. He was worried about paying back the debts.
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