With a drastic fall in production and lack of remunerative price at the market this year, turmeric farmers are facing great difficulties. They are of the view that the existing rate per quintal is not at all profitable and even input costs cannot be recovered with the same.
On the other hand, production this year fell by 60 to 70 per cent compared to the previous year. Acute drought and prolonged dry spell cast its shadow not only on water intensive crops like paddy but also on other crops. On the whole, farmers planted turmeric lower than 50 per cent of the normal sowing area.
That apart, farmers are scared of disinterest of traders to come forward to auction crop citing reasons of poor quality and high moisture content in the produce. Therefore, they staged a protest against the alleged failure of authorities to ensure purchases by traders at the market yard here on Thursday.
Ramesh Modani of M.B. Agro Trading Company says trading has just begun and as of now only low quality produce is coming in. After 15 days, quality produce is likely to come in, fetching high prices. Crop production rate that declined is between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 8,500 per quintal, which is reasonable, he says.
Farmers, who arrived with turmeric from different parts of the district and also from Adilabad, deplored that there are no facilities at the yard. Meal for Rs. 5 which was introduced for the benefit of farmers is not in sight anywhere. The same is with drinking water.
A farmer, Palepu Satyam Reddy of Perkit in Armoor mandal, says with the monsoon playing truant and depletion in ground water, just 25 per cent of the crop could be harvested. “I planted the crop in six acres, and have harvested in two acres so far. We get 20 bags yield per acres in normal conditions, but this year in two acres, the yield was just 24 bags,” he says.
Given the abnormal increase in input costs, unless Rs .12,000 to Rs. 14,000 per quintal is given, farmer would not be happy, he says. “We have experienced much hardship in this long dry season,” he says.
The condition of Darkam Dharmaiah of Harimandal village in Mamda mandal of Adilabad district is no better either. In the previous year, he had brought five tractor loads of turmeric which now fell to just two tractor loads.
Another complaint frequently heard from farmers was that after purchasing crop, traders were not paying amount immediately and keeping them waiting for 15 days for clearance. Agriculture Market Yard Assistant Director K. Sammaiah says the crop fetches a price depending on quality, which may increase in the next few days.
