Untimely rains and the absence of proper compensation mechanisms are causing losses to farmers in the erstwhile Medak district. The slow progress of paddy purchase by the procurement centres also concerns farmers.

Ryots in the Siddipet and Medak districts complain that unseasonal rains damage their crops every year. The government thinks that all the problems of farmers have been solved with Rythu Bandhu, but the ground reality is different, they said. 

The rains are also reportedly washing away the grains meant for procurement. Though the paddy procurement centres in the erstwhile Medak district have been open for almost a month, the authorities haven’t yet procured 25 per cent of the target amount. Heavy rains have been reported three times in the last 10 days in the Siddipet and Medak districts, causing damage to the paddy harvest.

This apart, a large quantity of paddy was washed away as water from the Mallannasagar project entered the market yard in Thogita, farmers said. The lack of proper tarpaulins to protect the grains from moisture coupled with the heavy rains is causing severe distress to farmers. They criticise the government for not being able to find alternatives and address the issue of farmers even after facing similar situations for the past three years. 

Farmers complain that they have to wait for 10 to 20 days at the purchasing centres to sell the crop. If the farmers bring wet paddy, they are asked to get it dried before the authorities can procure it, they said. Farmers said their paddy harvest has been affected by rains for the past three years, but they are yet to receive any compensation from the government. 

An official with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare said if the State government had implemented the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), a crop insurance scheme, the farmers would have received compensation if their crops were damaged by untimely rains. 

Source - https://www.newindianexpress.com