State delays jowar MSP order, farmers lose out

Although the government had issued orders for procurement of jowar it was too late as most of the farmers, in their despair, had sold their yield at less than the minimum support price (MSP).

Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) is conducting a survey of farmers who sold their yields before the government order was issued to assess the losses for the farmers and demand the state to compensate them. Farmers have sold their yield for

`1,100-`1,300 while the MSP is `2,620.

Responding to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s call, around

20,000 farmers, mostly from Sangareddy, Kamareddy and erstwhile Adilabad districts, took to cultivation of jowar.

The RSV estimated that around 50 per cent of them had sold their yield at low prices. In Kangutta village of

Boath mandal, the RSV collected names of 68 farmers, who sold their yield, along with the quantities and receipts.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, S. Borranna of Adilabad district, RSV state committee member, who filed a PIL in the High Court seeking MSP for jowar, said “We have protested and submitted representations to the agriculture department. Once I knocked on the doors of the court, the government took cognisance and issued an order regarding procurement of jowar. We have been conducting a survey on the farmers’ losses.”

Raju, who sold 35 quintals of jowar at `1,100 and incurred a loss of `50,000, said, “I usually cultivate maize but opted for jowar this time. I harvested the crop in mid-April, and stored the yield and waited for the government decision till June first week.”

A few days back, Raju spoke to agriculture minister S. Niranjan

Reddy on a TV programme run by the department of information technology. Raju said, “I explained our issues and asked whether the government was planning to procure jowar. The minister said no. Under pressure to repay our debts, 50 per cent of the farmers in our village sold their yield at a low price. We demand that the government compensate us for our loss.”

T. Sreeharsha, state coordinator of Kisan Mitra helpline, said, “Since May, the helpline has received calls from more than 75 jowar farmers, out of which majority was in distress. We are reaching out to check when the government will start procurement of jowar.”

Kiran Kumar Vissa, state committee member of RSV, said “The jowar farmers’ struggle in Telangana is an important part of the nationwide farmers’ movement for remunerative prices and guarantee of MSP."