In a bid to address the plight of farmers grappling with low returns on their sunflower crop, MLA Harish Rao has penned a letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, urging immediate action to secure a support price. The sunflower cultivation spans across 20,829 acres in the joint Medak and joint Nizamabad districts of Telangana.
Highlighting the distress faced by farmers, Rao referenced a previous communication to the government on February 22, where concerns were raised regarding the inadequate minimum support price in the market. Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao had responded, assuring a support price of Rs. 6,760 and pledging to purchase the sunflower crop.
However, despite the assurances, the purchasing process has fallen short of expectations. While procurement commenced in the markets, only a fraction of the yield was bought, leaving a significant portion untouched. Rao alleges that instead of procuring the entire yield from farmers, purchases were limited to what the central government mandated for its share.
Consequently, the remaining crop remains unsold, forcing farmers to offload 75 percent of their produce at distressingly low prices, resulting in financial losses. Expressing concern over the predicament faced by farmers, Rao emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting the adverse impact on their livelihoods.
In his missive to CM Revanth Reddy, Rao underscored the need for immediate intervention to alleviate the hardships faced by farmers. He emphasized that selling the crop for a mere four to five thousand rupees is untenable for farmers who invest significant resources and labor in cultivation.
The appeal comes amidst growing agitation among farmers who are grappling with the repercussions of the market’s indifference to their plight. With livelihoods hanging in the balance, the call for government intervention to ensure fair remuneration for agricultural produce grows louder, echoing the sentiments of farmers across the state.
