KAKINADA: Intermittent rains, cold weather and heavy gales triggered by Mandous Cyclone have become a major worry for paddy farmers of Kakinada, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, and East and West Godavari districts.
Rains have hit even as many farmers have not moved their crops from their fields and some are still continuing harvesting operations.
Though agriculture and civil supplies corporation officials are advising farmers to save their crops from rains, farmers are unable to do so due to lack of space for storing their paddy. Farmers are pleading that at this crucial moment, state government help them by purchasing paddy without considering its moisture content.
CPM West Godavari district secretary B. Balaram said 40 percent of paddy has not been sold so far and harvesting is still continuing. He requested government to purchase the harvested crop without measuring moisture content. Otherwise, farmers will incur a great loss. He said due to lack of sufficient gunny bags, farmers are unable to save their crop. He suggested that district administration supply tarpaulins to farmers for covering their paddy and protecting it from rains.
Farmers led by Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham staged a stir at the Paddy Grounds near Rythu Bharosa Kendram (RBK) at Malkapuram village in Eluru Rural mandal on Saturday demanding that the government purchase paddy immediately, so that the crop could be saved from rains.
Farmers said though they are trying to dry paddy, moisture content within their crop has increased due to cyclonic rains because RBKs have not purchased paddy in a timely manner. Rythu Sangham state president V. Krishnaiah maintained that farmers had run around government offices to get gunny bags and transport their paddy to RBK centres. But they did not get help from officials. Further, government had also reduced the paddy procurement target.
Krishnaiah said protesting against this, Rythu Sangham will stage a demonstration in front of the Civil Supplies Commissioner's office on Monday.
Meanwhile, Kakinada district joint collector Ilakkiya has ordered RBKs to expedite purchase of paddy from farmers. She wanted that the procured paddy be immediately shifted to rice mills for custom milling, so that it does not get damaged by rains.
