KHAMMAM: Farmers of Khammam district are preferring to sell their paddy to private traders than state government despite getting a price lower than the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,060 for A grade and Rs 2,040 for B grade paddy.
Enquiries reveal that farmers do not mind losing Rs 50 to Rs 100 per quintal of paddy because private traders lift paddy right from their fields. They do not have to bear the transportation cost of taking their paddy to the market yard.
N. Sankar Naik, a farmer of Narapanenipalli in Wyra mandal, said: “We end up facing from officials several queries at paddy lifting centres opened by the government, like moisture content and gunny bags. Private traders ask no such questions, though they pay us a little lower price.”
Farmers say they have to face nightmarish experiences at government procurement centres. They are forced to wait at procurement centres for days together before their paddy is procured. If unexpected rains come during the period, they have to suffer a loss. Moreover, farmers cannot do any other work during the period but concentrate on selling their produce.
Though the government announced that it would open 220 paddy procurement centres, only 40 centres have been functioning so far. Farmers complain that these centres refuse to purchase their paddy if it has a moisture content of more than 17 percent.
Such conditions at government centres are forcing farmers to offer their produce to private traders despite the latter offering lower rates.
