Karimnagar Farmers Resort To Early Paddyharvest Amid Water, Power Woes

threaten to wither standing crops. Traders and rice millers are encouraging the practice by offering attractive prices for wet paddy.
Farmers who sowed paddy at the beginning of the kharif season have started harvesting even though the crop needs a few more days in the fields to
mature fully. With no rain in the past fortnight, agricultural wells and borewells have recorded a sharp decline in water levels, reportedly due to
the El Nino effect.
Even farmers with access to water are struggling to irrigate their fields because of erratic power supply, forcing many to harvest their crops early.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Pulugam Pochaiah, a farmer from Garsha kurthy
village in Gangadhara mandal, said he had harvested his crop ahead of schedule because he could not irrigate it regularly.
Although the flood flow canal (FFC) passing alongside his fields had adequate water, power interruptions prevented him from drawing it. He
managed to irrigate the crop for three days using a generator before
harvesting it, he said.Another farmer, Thatipally Indrasena Reddy of Linga pur village in
Shankarapatnam mandal, sold a portion of his wet paddy to a trader from Jammikunta for Rs 3,200 per quintal.
Meanwhile, concerns over a possible foodgrain shortage due to prolonged El Nino conditions have prompted traders and millers to approach farmers
directly, particularly to procure fine varieties of paddy. Demand for these varieties has risen across the erstwhile Karimnagar district, with private
buyers offering prices higher than the government-supported rates. The government offers a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,461 per quintal
for fine paddy, along with a state bonus of Rs 500, taking the total to Rs 2,961. Traders, however, are offering Rs 3,300 to Rs 3,500 per quintal,
depending on the variety.
Prices could rise further as traders and millers from across Telangana and other states approach local farmers.