Hapless farmers throng Maha to purchase soybeans

Nizamabad: Farmers in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts are eagerly waiting to cultivate soybeans while agriculture officials are indifferent in meeting the shortage of seeds. As the monsoon season approaches, farmers are thronging Maharashtra for seeds. The roads were congested with several vehicles of Telangana farmers travelling to buy soybean seeds from Maharashtra at the Bodhan Salura check post in Nizamabad district. Farmers have reached Maharashtra as the Telangana government has not distributed subsidised seeds through primary cooperative societies. Along with paddy in Kharif during this monsoon season, soybean is cultivated in large areas in Kamareddy-Nizamabad district.

Most of the farmers in erstwhile Nizamabad district are cultivating this crop as the demand for soybean has been increased over the last few years. Farmers in Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts are cultivating JS335 variety for cultivation. Farmers who do not get this type of soybean are turning to other varieties. There is a huge demand for soybean cultivation in the erstwhile Nizamabad district this Kharif season. Farmers who prefer to cultivate dry crops are making arrangements to increase the area under soybean cultivation. Kamareddy DAO Agriculture Officer estimates that soybean cultivation is estimated at 72,878 acres in Kamareddy district.

18,083 quintals of soybean seed could not be made available to farmers. Nizamabad District Agriculture Department officials estimate that soybean will be grown on 63,000 acres in the coming Kharif. Judging by the rush of farmers' vehicles buying soybeans from Maharashtra at the Salura border checkpost, it is likely that this year will be even longer than the area proposed by the Agriculture official. Farmers are buying mostly from private seed shops as the government does not supply seeds on subsidy. Farmers of Salura, Hunsa, Khajapur, Mandarna, Kaladurki and Khadgaon villages in Bodhan Mandal mostly cultivate soybean.

With the help of farmers from Bodhan Mandal villages, other Mandal farmers from Kamareddy-Nizamabad district are moving to Maharashtra to buy seeds with the intention of cultivating soybean crop before the monsoon season arrives. About 25 kg bags of soybean seeds are being sold by Maharashtra traders between Rs 4,200 to Rs 4,900, said Ram Chander, a farmer from Kaladurki Bosan mandal. The JS 335, which is in demand, was previously sold in Nizamabad Kamareddy districts between Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 per 25 kg bag. Seed is not available in the district. Armor farmer Santosh Reddy alleged that he would have to buy at a higher price in Maharashtra. Farmers returning with seeds at the Salura Telangana-Maharashtra border checkpost alleges that they are buying soybean seeds supplied from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as this type of seed is not widely available in Telangana. Telangana farmers are buying 640 soybean seeds supplied by Green Gold Company from Aurangabad in Maharashtra for between Rs 3,800 and Rs 4,000 per 25 kg bag.

The farmers are buying a 25 kg bag of Trishika type soybean seeds from Uttar Pradesh for Rs 4,200. Another type of Karishma soya seed from Uttar Pradesh is being purchased by farmers at a minimum price of Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,400 per 25 kg bag. When supplied by the government on subsidy, Telangana farmers used to buy a 25 kg bag for between Rs 1200 to Rs 1500. Currently farmers are buying at higher prices due to lack of subsidised seeds. They are preparing to sow the seeds when the first rains come.Farmers are still demanding the supply of soybean subsidised seeds through the Telangana government.