The State government decision not to increase the procurement price of paddy from existing ₹28.20 a kg in spite of the Union government offering an increase of ₹1.43 in the support price has angered the farmers across Kerala.
Describing the government decision as not only disappointing but also deceptive, paddy farmers said that the State government should at least have made the Union government’s share of ₹1.43 available to the farmers.
“The farmers have been demanding to increase the procurement price of paddy to ₹35 a kilogram from the existing price of ₹28.20. But instead of increasing the price, the State government has now wrested the ₹1.43 additional amount given by the Union government. This is hideous,” said Palakkad Karshaka Samrakshana Samiti leaders here on Sunday.
Samiti patron Chidambaram Kutty and chairman C. Vijayan said that the government should be ready to cut the perks and benefits being given to its employees as well as to control the extravaganza of the Ministers.
Desiya Karshaka Samajam (DKS) district executive committee said that the State government decision on the paddy procurement price could never be justified. DKS president Muthalamthodu Mani said that the Union government had increased its support price twice in recent times, and the paddy farmers would naturally be eligible to get at least ₹29.63 a kg. “But the State government has reduced ₹2.43 from its incentive of ₹7.80. This is terrible,” said Mr. Mani.
The DKS said that the government could not be crueler to the farmers in the State at a time when they were finding it tough to manage with the existing procurement price of ₹28.20 a kg. It warned that the government action would only help to shrink paddy farming in the State.
The government decision has come at a time when the standoff between the farmers and the government over the non-payment of the paddy price procured in last year’s second crop nearly ended. However, the government has yet to resolve several other issues that face paddy procurement.
For example, the government has signed a contract with only a few rice mills for paddy procurement even as many farmers have already harvested their first crop. The rain that lashed across the State in the last two days has badly affected the harvested paddy. Some farmers, fearing inordinate delay and loss of money, have started selling the paddy to private mills at a much less price.
