Taking advantage of the prevailing drought conditions and decline in the area of cultivation of paddy in the district, the price of rice, stable food of the people, is increasing steadily in the district.
The Karimngar district, which is stated to be the rice bowl of Telangana state with record paddy production over the years, had now turned into barren lands due to the consecutive drought. The cultivation of paddy had declined considerably in the kharif season and now there is no cultivation of paddy in this rabi season.
During the 2014 kharif season, the paddy was cultivated in 1.5 lakh hectares against normal area of 2.13 lakh hectares. Incidentally, the paddy yield had also declined to 8.2 lakh metric tonnes due to the drought. In 2015 kharif, the paddy was cultivated only in 88,000 hectares against 1.1 lakh hectares. Out of the cultivated land, only 35,000 hectares was fine variety paddy. But, the production was very less due to bad weather.
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Now during this rabi season, the paddy is hardly sown in any part of the district due to depleting water table. Only few farmers have sown paddy for their own food requirements in some hectares.
The steep increase of fine rice (old variety) ranging from Rs 4,000 per quintal to Rs 5,000 per quintal became a cause of concern for consumers. Similarly, the fine rice (new) was costing Rs 3,200 per quintal to Rs 3,400 per quintal. Last year, the price of new variety rice was costing only Rs. 2,600 per quintal to Rs 2,800 per quintal and old variety at Rs 3,500 per quintal to Rs 4,000 per quintal.
The traders said that the rice prices increased with the decline in the paddy production following the drought. They said that the rice price may even reach Rs. 5,500 per quintal in April and May.
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However, the sources in the Civil Supplies Department said that the government was planning to procure fine rice from UP, MP, Maharashtra, Chhasttisgarh and Bihar to stabilise the prices here.