Agri minister wants middlemen out of Rythu Bazaars

Nalgonda: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Thursday stressed that middlemen should have no role in Rythu Bazaars, reaffirming the state government's commitment to ensuring fair prices and direct market access for farmers.

Speaking after inaugurating the renovated Rythu Bazaar at Sri Ram Nagar in Khammam city, the minister emphasised that the core objective of setting up Rythu Bazaars in urban areas was to enable farmers to sell vegetables directly to consumers, bypassing middlemen. This, he noted, would help farmers earn better income while ensuring affordable prices for consumers.

“Stalls in Rythu Bazaars must be allotted only to farmers,” Rao said, instructing officials to strictly enforce this rule. He urged farmers from nearby areas to bring their produce to the Sri Ram Nagar Rythu Bazaar, assuring them it would result in better earnings. “Middlemen have been exploiting farmers for too long. This must stop,” he added.

The minister also highlighted key government schemes such as Rythu Bharosa and bonus incentives for premium varieties of paddy, underscoring the government’s top priority: the welfare of farmers. He assured that the state would continue to support marketing facilities for all crops to help boost farmer incomes.

During the event, he also directed the assistant director of marketing to begin the process of procuring corn crops from farmers in the district.

Khammam district collector Muzammil Khan, who was also present, encouraged farmers to focus on cultivating crops that have high market demand to maximise profits. He announced that another Rythu Bazaar under construction at Gandhi Chowk in Khammam, with an estimated cost of Rs 35 lakh, would be inaugurated by the end of April.

He also urged city residents to buy vegetables from Rythu Bazaars, highlighting that they offer fresh produce at lower prices compared to regular markets.