State’s rice bowl ‘Hadoti’ reels from low paddy prices
KOTA: Farmers of the state’s ‘rice bowl’ Hadoti region are reeling from a decline in paddy prices in the domestic market allegedly due to US sanctions on Iran, one of the main rice buying nations, and a dip in interest from Gulf countries, following a pesticide scare.
Madan Lal (31) of Jaithal village of Bundi was seen reloading hi s 1 4 0 q ui nt a l s o f r i c e a t the Kota-based Bhamashah Grain mandi after price offered for his produce was low.
“I used to get up to ~3500 per quintal for my top quality Bundi rice in 2018 but now I am being offered ~ 2000 per quintals at auction. Following this I have now decided to not sell my rice”, he said.
Other f armers of Hadoti region too have the same story. Latoor lal (60) of Baran said that he had 42 quintals of paddy for selling it in the mandi but was offered just over ~ 2200 to ~2500 quintals for the produce, while he got r ~3000 per quintals last year (2018).
When asked about the comparative prices of paddy in recent years from the Mandi secretary, Bhamashah Grain Mandi, Kota, ML Jatav, said there is a drop in paddy prices from the previous year.
Dashrath Kumar, general secretary, Hadoti Kisan Union said the reduction in the paddy prices is leading to losses of up to ~400 crores to farmers in the Hadoti region.
“Farmers are getting around ~ 600-to-800 per quintals less than last year, which is a major loss since nowadays farmers are not even able to recover their cost of cultivation due to high agricultural input”, he said.
When asked about the possible reasons for dip in paddy prices, joint director, agriculture, Ramavatar Sharma attributed it to the demand and supply ratio of rice in the country.
HS Mishra, joint director, agricultural marketing department, blamed global factors such as disinterest in Indian rice due to pesticide scare, following
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Production (in tonnes) which their has been a dip in export. “I have sent letters to the Union Commerce Minister and also the chief Minister of Rajasthan for changes in the export policy to facilitate the import of Indian rice by other countries”, said Dashrath Kumar General Secretary of Hadoti kisan Union.
There are 24 rice processing mills in Bundi which is also known for its Bundi rice, often informally known as Bundi Basmati.
Rajesh Taparia, president, Bundi Rice Mill Association said paddy price is around 30% less this year than previous years.
The disinterest shown by Indian rice importing countries including gulf countries, African countries, European countries and Russian countries in the last one and a half years due to the presence of presticide residue in Indian rice has lead to reduction in demand and has resulted in the lowering prices. Taparia,
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Nov 2019 however, clarified that Bundi rice does not have any pesticide residue.
Taparia said the US sanctions on Iran has also contributed to the situation as Iran traditionally had been a major buyer of Indian rice.
“Iran used to buy 14 lakh tons of rice from India including 1.80 lakh tons of Bundi and Hadoti rice but when Indian did not buy crude oil from Iran following US sanctions on Iran, the latter also did not buy Indian rice, which led to a decline in prices of Hadoti rice”, he said.
Farmer unions of Hadoti region are now urging the Union government to change the export norms and persuade foreign countries to buy Indian rice.
Dashrath Kumar said that “Our farmer organisation has written to the Union commerce minister for changing the export norms so that countries can import Indian rice”.