Telangana CM KCR's word fails to soothe frayed nerves of growers harvesting losses

Hyderabad: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao's fresh assurance of protecting every farmer during the lockdown period notwithstanding, there does not seem to be any relief in the offing for horticulture growers in the state.

Mango, sweet lime, Taiwan guava, and watermelon growers are worst-hit in these crisis times. The government's decision on closure of all market yards has come as a bolt from the blue to these farmers. With no transportation facility and none coming forward to purchase the perishables, the growers are getting resigned to their bad fate and dumping with a heavy heart the hard-cultivated produce in their farms. In some cases, farmers are selling their produce at dirt-cheap prices as there is no alternative.

The erstwhile Nalgonda district has emerged as the top producer of sweet lime and Taiwan guava in the state in recent times. Till recently, the farmers were exporting the two exotic fruits to other states mainly Maharashtra, Karnataka and some northern States and the demand for these two fruits was growing.

After the total lockdown, exports fell down by 50 percent and the local fruit merchant agents have also stopped procuring stocks from farmers as many fruit market yards in Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam stopped any trading. Only a few agents are in contact with farmers, K Venkatesh from Narketpally Mandal said. He said the standing crop of Taiwan guava will perish if the harvest is not kept in cold storage within two days. The facility is available at Hyderabad only. The only option before him is to dump the crop on the farm. He spent Rs 70,000 per acre but he may get hardly Rs 20,000.

Sweet lime farmers have also borne the brunt of the ongoing lockdown across the country. The CM announced that the government would buy all the grown citrus fruit. KCR also asked farmers not to export the fruit so as to meet local demand during the lockdown period. "But no authority has approached us," deplores S Raghav Reddy who is cultivating the lime crop in 20 acres at Devarakonda area.

State horticulture department officials maintain they are visiting villages and buying fruit stocks directly from growers. Due to shortage of manpower, the delay is taking place in addressing the growers' issues, they contend.

Mango and watermelon growers from Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar, and Khammam are also facing hardships with agents refraining from any purchases. K Narasaiah from Nelakondapally in Khammam district said that the mango sale season begins in March third week every year. This time, whole stocks are piling up either in their farms or in temporary stock points. Mango growers like him urge the agents from Hyderabad to lift the stocks but their hopes may be dashed should the lockdown continue for some more time.

Watermelon growers are already facing difficulties in selling them at good prices. Most growers from Rangareddy district transported the stocks with special permission and are directly selling to consumers at distress prices at Rythu Bazaars. They said it was the first time in the recent years that they sold melons at the lowest prices in the open market. They worry their standing crop would wither away due to increasing heat conditions.