Anantapur: Labour shortage, mechanisation turn expensive for farmers

Anantapur/Puttaparthi: Erratic rainfall and non-availability of labour forced the farmers to hire mechanised farm implements, which are reportedly expensive, according to Narsaiah, a paddy farmer in Marthadu village in Garladinne mandal in the district.

Paddy crop is under cultivation in more than one lakh hectares in the undivided district under Kharif. Almost all the farmers started crop harvesting activities. With the non-availability of labour, farmers are left without any choice except to take paddy harvesting machines from neighbouring Karnataka State on rent.

Due to the high demand for paddy harvesters, the owners are escalating the rental charges.

A farmer Raja Reddy said that he paid Rs 2,000 per hour towards rent for harvesting machine. But now the owners are demanding Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 per hour for the machine, he lamented that how could he continue paddy cultivation in five acres with this exorbitant expenditure.

A woman farmer Lakshmikantham from Pamidi mandal said that cultivation cost was increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre and now machinery rental charges added to our woes.

Farmers demanded the government to make all agriculture implements and machinery available through custom hiring centres at affordable and government fixed hiring charges.