The harvest of paddy in rabi crop will start in the first week of next month but farmers were in a dilemma over disposal of their produce as the Centre has refused to procure the crop due to lack of demand in the country.
The State government which has mounted pressure on the Centre to buy the produce had declared that it will take a view on future course of action after Ugadi on April 2.
Sources said about 70 lakh tonnes of paddy was likely to reach market yards after April as the crop was grown over 35 lakh acres despite the State government putting farmers on notice that it will not open procurement centres. On the other hand, 93 lakh tonnes was sold from cultivation over 53 lakh acres in the same season last year. In normal circumstances, arrangements for procurement of paddy in rabi start by March and the transactions at minimum support price actually start in April second week. But, this time nothing of the sort was visible.
In these circumstances, farmers were at a loss to understand how to dispose of the produce. Already, rumours were thick and fast that the farmers will be compelled to sell the grains at a price of ₹400 to 500 a quintal while the MSP for A grade was ₹1,960 a quintal and the common variety ₹1,040 a quintal.
The standoff between Central and State governments owed itself to refusal of the former to buy boiled rice that was generated out of the produce in rabi due to higher temperatures which leads to breaking of the grains. In these circumstances, the State government had taken to agitational path on the Centre but gave no commitment on disposal of stocks. The State government had warned farmers in advance prior to the commencement of the season that it will not open procurement centres. The helplessness of revenue and civil supplies officials was visible even now in this background.
The Food Corporation of India had evolved the boiled rice policy two decades ago to meet the demand in States like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and even countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, the consumption of boiled rice had come down over the years and, as a result, the stocks in FCI godowns went up. Then, the Centre conveyed to Telangana government during rabi of 2020-21 that it will not procure paddy of rabi from the State from this year and entered into an agreement. Only the targets of procurement in kharif fixed for various States would be met.
