Tenant farmers seek remission of temple land rents

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers’ Association on Friday submitted a memorandum to Endowments Commissioner Ramachandra Mohan, requesting rent remission for farmers cultivating temple lands who suffered heavy crop losses due to the recent Montha Cyclone.

Association state secretary MHaribabu led the delegation and explained that tenant farmers cultivating temple lands have incurred severe losses as crops such as paddy, cotton, banana and papaya were extensively damaged. Rising input costs, coupled with cyclone-related destruction, have pushed farmers into financial distress, the memorandum said.

The association noted that several farmers had already paid rent in advance for cultivating temple lands. In view of the calamity, they appealed to the department to allow such farmers to cultivate temple lands without paying rent for the next two years. For farmers who pay rent after harvest, the association requested that at least 50 percent of the rent be waived this year.

The memorandum highlighted that even the government’s crop compensation is insufficient, as farmers are also burdened with high expenditure on harvesting, processing, and clearing damaged orchards.

Responding to the delegation, commissioner Ramachandra Mohan assured that the department would examine the request for remission after receiving detailed reports from district collectors on crop loss, affected acreage, and other related data.