Farmers unhappy over poor support from govt

Ongole: The dryland farmers in the droughty Prakasam district, who are already hit by the delay in the onset of monsoon, complain about poor support from the government and improper distribution of the crop insurance.

In the Kharif season, the farmers in the Prakasam district usually cultivate crops in about 1,70,000 hectares in which red gram dominates cultivation in more than 70,000 hectares, followed by chilli in 35,000 hectares, cotton in 30,000 hectares and paddy in about 20,000 hectares.

The farmers would be benefitted only when there was about 390mm of rainfall during the southwest monsoon. As the rains are irregular, the farmers are now at the mercy of rain god particularly in Western Prakasam district where red gram and cotton is cultivated.

They are worried that if the rains play hide and seek, their investment will not get them necessary returns. The Agriculture department claims that they had supplied about 40,000 quintals of paddy, black gram, green gram, red gram and chickpea seeds at 25 to 50 per cent subsidy to 66,000 plus farmers.

But a group of farmers from Kunta of Peddaraveedu mandal, who refused to be named said the cost of the seeds is more in the Rythu Bharosa Kendras than compared to seeds available in the open market. Moreover, they are not available immediately. One has to wait for a week. On the other hand, private dealers supply immediately and also extend credit facility.

Apart from the seeds, the farmers are also complaining over the supply of fertilizers and pesticides at the Rythu Bharosa Kendras and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. A farmer from Markapuram said that the fertilizers and pesticides are available only to those who are recommended by the ruling party leaders, but not for everyone.

Farmers are more worried about the minimum guarantee to cover the loss. A farmer in Peddaraveedu said that the government is not linking all crops under the free crop insurance scheme. Agriculture officials are selecting a single crop, the crop for which the government could pay the lowest compensation, with mandal as the unit and implementing the scheme.

The data from the government shows that 1,30,106 farmers from the erstwhile Prakasam district received Rs 239.91 crores as compensation under the crop insurance for Kharif 2019, and the number of farmers reduced to 30,945 and the compensation amount to Rs 31.11 crore in Kharif 2020.

The government paid Rs 275.35 crore as compensation to 1,10,729 farmers in the divided Prakasam district for Kharif 2021. A farmer from Bestavarapet in Giddalur mandal said that the real farmers suffer losses. They allege that the ruling party leaders try to help their own party men. In the western area of the district, recently, farmers from many villages locked the agriculture officials in Rythu Bharosa Kendras and released them after the district-level officials promised justice.

All they want is quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides at the normal price, and insurance for all crops by charging the premium and delivering the compensation in a fortnight. However, Joint Director of Agriculture S Srinivasa Rao told The Hans India that the cultivation in Kharif started in the district with cotton and sesame.