Kakinada:The TD-led state government is yet to announce the individual subsidy scheme for farm mechanization, which was one of the election promises of the three-party alliance.
Farmers note that, when the Telugu Desam government was in power during 2014-19, it had implemented the scheme. This helped many farmers buy tractors, power tillers, harvesters, weed removal machines etc. Since 2019, the YSRC government changed the scheme and made it applicable to only groups of farmers.
This change had been sharply criticised by the TD and other parties. They promised the farmers to re-implement the individual subsidy scheme.
In fact, the individual mechanization subsidy scheme is a central government offer, and the state government is the implementing authority.
Farmers say their plight has worsened over the years. The agriculture wage rates have been hiked to `800 and `1,000 per day and in some cases to `1200.
“The Khariff season has been completed and the tilling charges have also been hiked. The farmers are not able to pay weed removal charges either. Previously, farmers who bought weed removal machines found it to be very useful and they could save money and time,” they say.
Observed G Achuta Rama Rao of Ramachandrapuram, “Many farmers in upland areas till the mango and cashew nut gardens for good yield. Power tillers will be of help to them. The hire charges for tractors have also gone up. The government should implement the promise of individual farm mechanization subsidies for the Rabi crop and horticulture crops.’’
He said, “When we were getting ready to harvest the paddy crop, a cyclone alert came. The labourers demanded higher prices. Harvest machines are not available to us due to high demand.”
Harvested paddy has been inundated and the farmers incurred great losses, he said.
Agriculture minister K Achannaidu will attend a district review meeting in Konaseema district on Wednesday. Aggrieved farmers have requested the MLAs and MPs to raise the mechanization demand at the meeting.
