Hyderabad: Will the Mandi Raj be back with a bang?

Hyderabad: Will repeal of farm laws bring back the Mandi Raj? Will it be detrimental to the interests of farmers?

Sources in the State government said that the present process of procurement has certain shortcomings. Now that the farm laws have been repealed, the farmers will have to pay about Rs 360 as various charges, which would go to different persons, from the time of paddy procurement till it reaches the rice miller.

Farmers' main complaint was about the cheating that takes place at market yard. Farmers alleged that they were denied the minimum support price (MSP), citing poor quality of paddy as the reason.

They even alleged that before the farm laws were enacted, the market committee members used to form cartels with the rice millers and other traders to deprive farmers of their due. Besides, the farmers were also charged cess as well as other fees as per the decisions of the committees. The risk of all this coming back again stares at their face.

A rice miller from Karimnagar pointed out that buying paddy at MSP could be a costly proposition for them and instead if they buy a truckload of recycled rice, he can earn a a profit of about Rs 1 lakh.

It shows that the governments are not addressing the real issue as to why rice was sold for recycling?

As far as the middlemen role is not contained and the loopholes are not plugged, hardly one can expect a farmer would ever get remunerative price for his produce. Also, when farmer as a supplier for the procurement is not recovering his cost, how can he sustain his agricultural activity? Currently, the Rs 350 going to the third parties should either reach farmers or the millers. But that's not happening.

With the reentry of AMCYs running the show, unless the screw is not tightened, then the old system of Mandi Raj would be back, ruled by middlemen and cartels, the sources cautioned.