Despite Record Prices, Farmers Say No Profit As Paddy Production Falls
The district authorities have decided to set up 286 paddy procurement centres to purchase the harvested crop: Reports
NALGONDA: Despite fine-variety paddy fetching record prices in the market, farmers in Nalgonda say they are struggling to recover their cultivation costs as inadequate irrigation has reduced yields sharply.
In some cultivated areas, production has fallen by nearly a half, leaving farmers in the lurch. Officials had estimated that Nalgonda farmers would produce four lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the current monsoon crop season -- nearly half the 7,63,776 metric tonnes recorded in the previous monsoon season. Despite the state government's advisory against paddy cultivation due to adverse weather conditions, farmers in the district cultivated paddy on more than 5.5 lakh acres.
The district authorities have decided to set up 286 paddy procurement centres to purchase the harvested crop. A total of 372 centres operated during the 2025 monsoon season. The number has been reduced this year in view of the expected decline in production.
The civil supplies department estimates that less than half of the four lakh metric tonnes of paddy produced in the district would reach the procurement centres for sale.
With harvesting under way, private traders have been approaching farmers in their fields to purchase the crop. Traders are bearing the costs of hamalis and transportation. Ordinary paddy is fetching `2,300 per quintal, while fine-variety paddy is selling for `4,200 to `4,600 per quintal, depending on its moisture content.
K Narsaiah, a farmer from Dandempally in Nalgonda mandal, said he had cultivated paddy on four acres but managed to harvest a crop from only one acre due to a lack of irrigation.
He received just 25 quintals of paddy, equivalent to the yield from one acre.
Despite the high market price, the proceeds from the sale were insufficient to cover the cultivation costs for all four acres, he said.
Another farmer, B Veetabhadram, said private traders were deducting 5kg per quintal as waste while purchasing paddy. He urged the government to revise the minimum support price (MSP) for fine-variety paddy in line with market prices to ensure farmers received a fair return.
