Telangana: Burning crop is better, say cultivators

Warangal/Khammam: Chilli farmers at Enumamula agriculture market are a distressed lot.  Almost all farmers leaving the market after selling their produce are disappointed at low price offered. Tears roll down their wrinkled, weather-beaten cheeks when anyone asks about crop sales. Several farmers are still waiting with their bags of chilli at the yard since the past few days. The lack of good price is pushing farmers towards dejection, and all hopes of making a profit have been dashed. 

P. Saraiah, a farmer from Nawabpet village in Chityala mandal of Jayashankar Bhupala-palli district, said he had spent Rs 1.5 lakh to cultivate his two-acre land and produced 18 quintal chilli. Picking, packing, stitching, transport and other things cost him another Rs 1 lakh. Howe-ver, when he arrived at the market two days ba-ck, he was offered Rs 700 per quintal. That leaves him with Rs 12,600; a who-pping loss of Rs 2,37,400.

“I have been waiting here since two days for a good price. I cannot aff-ord to wait for long. I will wait two more days and then sell the produce for whatever price is offered. I have debts to pay and a family to support. I do not see any ot-her option than committing suicide,” Saraiah said.

Pillalamarri Ramesh, a farmer from Devarampelli village in Kataram mandal, brought 20 quintals of chilli and was offered Rs 1,500 per quintal. His loss is more than Rs 2 lakh as well.

“Instead of going home with this meagre amount, I am thinking of burning all my produce here itself. The Chief Minister promised good results for us if we grow chilli instead of cotton. He failed to support us during tough times. He does not have the right to continue in his position as he did not even commiserate our woes. It is hard for a farmer like me to emerge from a setback like this,” he said.

Traders brook no ‘Opposition’, cheat 
The wiping out of the Laxman Rekha between the trading community, including commission agents and members of the governing body of the market, seems to have paved the way for exploitation of chilli farmers in a big way. 

Almost 95 per cent members of Chamber of Commerce joined the ruling party, and some of them were appointed members of the governing body of Khammam Agricultural Market. With this, the situation worsened as staff of the marketing department worked as per directions of these members. Trad-ers toyed with price with the support of all forces working in the market even as the chilli farmer remained a mute spectator in the Mayajalam (Vicious Circle). 

The genda pata (first price of chilli in the first hour) is high to show the government and people that farmers received a good price. A trader visits the market and chooses a stock of less quantity and decides on a high price. But after that, price for the produce of other farmers is low. 

The same thing happened on Thursday when the price of chilli was fixed at Rs 7,100 per quintal and 18 quintal was taken from a farmer. But the price came down to Rs 3,000 per quintal for the produce of other farmers. 

There is no end to games traders play in the market. For example, a Chinese company located at Mudigonda used to lift chilli 2.20 lakh quintals in a year. The company buys produce from agents as it wants high quantity. 

Khammam Market Committee chairman K. Krishna said, “I knew that traders, who are close to the ruling party, sold produce at '6,000 per quintal to the company. I was surprised to learn that they bought the same produce at Rs 3,000 per quintal.” 

There are 30 mega traders in Khammam market earning Rs 10- Rs 15 crore from the chilli business.