Plagued by plummeting profits in view of excess production and extended crop holiday, paddy farmers in Konaseema region have decided to switch over to other crops in a phased manner, by reducing the existing acreage and even taking up alternative ventures.
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) announced the move at a meeting convened at the Gosala here on Thursday, marking the fourth anniversary of the Konaseema crop holiday. “In the places where the soil is not suitable for crops other than paddy, farmers will go for fish tanks. A detailed plan of action will be chalked out very soon, said BKS general secretary Mutyala Jameelu, who presided over the meeting.
Cutting across the political lines, farmer leaders having affiliations to different political parties participated in the meeting that discussed at length about the non-implementation of the recommendations made by Mohan Kanda Committee on Konaseema crop holiday and the assurances given to the farmers by the then government. The minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government for paddy was not at all viable and farmers were forced to incur debts by taking up paddy cultivation, he pointed out.
“Since crop holiday is not a solution to the issue, we have to focus on other available options such as diverting fields for other crops that have market value and for fish tanks as well,” he said.
Reiterating the same, Rytanga Samakhya president Yerneni Nagendranath said excess production had taken a toll on demand for paddy and farmers needed to switch over to market-oriented crops to make cultivation profitable. “Paddy farmers are hardly getting back their investments. Since the government is not responding to such issues, it is better to find a solution by our own,” he said.
YSRC State unit convener M.V.S. Nagi Reddy wondered as to why the government was not responding to farmers’ issues. “One lakh acres have been left fallow owing to crop holiday since kharif in 2011. The loan waiver is not being implemented and banks are not extending fresh loans,” he said, while opposing the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme.
Farmers are hardly getting back their investments in Konaseema. Since the govt. is not responding to the issue, it is better to find a solution by our own
Yerneni Nagendranath,Rytanga Samakhya president
In case soil is not suitable for crops other than paddy, farmers will go for fish tanks. A detailed action plan will be chalked out soon
Mutyala Jameelu,BKS general secretary
