Farmers at the receiving end

Delay in paddy procurement and transport issue worry farmers

P. Jaipal Reddy is a farmer with about four acres of land near Shivampet. He cultivated paddy in his land and got a harvest of 100 quintals. He transported his produce to the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) located at Shivampet about two weeks ago. Part of his produce kept at the PACS was covered with tarpaulin covers and coconut tree branches. As there was rain, about 50 kilograms of paddy sprouted while the remaining was safe. After weighing of the paddy, it was shifted to the rice mill on Wednesday. When will Jaipal Reddy receive money for the paddy he sold at the PACS? “It may take two weeks. I am expecting payment in the first week of next month,” said Mr. Jaipal Reddy. The delay was attributed to unloading problems at mills, labour problem and transport. “We are not getting required number of lorries to load the paddy reaching in huge quantity at the procurement centre here. Besides, there is information from confirmed sources that lorries loaded with paddy are arriving here from Wanaparthy for milling there by occupying our space, thereby forcing delay on local farmers,” said Satyanarayana, another farmer from this village.