A super fine variety of rice — Sriram — which is grown in Nizamabad was purchased in large quantities by rice millers from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu a month ago at a price which was far higher than the minimum support price (MSP), raising hopes among farmers of the district.
After the requirement of millers from the two States was met, the price of this variety of rice produced in the just concluded Kharif plummeted to MSP. The grouse of the farmers is that they are often deprived of a price higher than MSP for super fine varieties like Sriram in the later stages of procurement of rice every year.
Agriculture Secretary C. Parthasarathi, however, contends that the government had no control over prices beyond MSP as they were ruled by market forces. The government will step in only if the MSP was not assured.
Procurement centres
Sriram was purchased by millers from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at ₹ 1,800 to ₹1,900 a quintal while the MSP was only ₹ 1,590 a quintal for ‘A’ grade rice. Nizamabad, Kamareddy and adjoining Jagtial together were expected to deliver 6.5 lakh tonnes of rice produced in recent Kharif to the Civil Supplies Corporation. The total paddy proposed to be procured this season by Corporation is 27.68 lakh tonnes, of which 9.4 lakh tonnes is already with the Corporation.
Last year, the Corporation purchased a record 53.66 lakh tonnes from 10.93 lakh farmers in both Kharif and rabi. The MSP then was only ₹ 1,510 for grade ‘A’ variety and ₹1,470 for common variety. Telangana stood fourth behind Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh in paddy procurement.
Though the MSP has been hiked by ₹80 up to ₹1,590 now, farmers said that the rate was far less than the cost of production which worked out to ₹ 2,100 a quintal. The brown plant hopper pest which attacked the crop, particularly in Jagtial, further dashed their hopes of a good price.
Meanwhile, the State government has written to the Centre to be allowed to implement price support scheme for procurement of red gram which will arrive at market yards from December to March. About 1.65 lakh tonnes of red gram was expected to be produced at 633 kgs per hectare. The government has also sought permission from Centre to extend time for procurement of black gram by 30 days and also enhance ceiling from 66,800 quintals to 1.5 lakh quintals.
