VIJAYAWADA: A phone call from a farmer is enough to solve the problems of farmers and to provide minimum support price for paddy, claim officials. They say that they opened a help line to address the grievances of farmers. A number of paddy purchasing centres have been opened in all mandals and some more will be opened, if necessary, they say.But one wonders why the farmers and opposition parties are making a hue and cry over the alleged failure of government in purchasing paddy when officials are ready to solve the problem.Though officials accept the truth or not, farmers have resorted to distress sale of paddy in several parts of Krishna district and they sold the paddy to millers at rates ranging from Rs 850 to Rs 900 per bag much below the MSP of Rs 1,030 as they were not prepared to suffer total loss with the onset of monsoon. Still, nearly one lakh tonnes of paddy is lying with farmers in the district during the Rabi season in addition to the Kharif season’s balance of crop. The farmer is at his wit’s end not knowing how to protect his paddy from rain as the monsoon has already advanced and rains are occurring in some parts of the state.Speaking to Express, joint collector Gaurav Uppal says that 28,000 tonnes of paddy has been purchased in the district at the minimum support price as the district administration has acted strictly in providing MSP. And, there is no dearth of gunny bags, he says. In Krishna district over seven lakh tonnes of paddy was produced in 98,000 hectares during the Rabi season. On the other hand, AP Rytanga Samakhya convener Yerneni Nagendranath complains that 40 lakh tonnes of paddy is lying with farmers in the state including four to five lakh tonnes in West Godavari district. He alleges that farmers have resorted to distress sale of paddy due to lack of space for storage and fear of monsoon.The Rytanga Samakhya leader says that farmers met at Eluru in West Godavari district on Saturday and gave an ultimatum to the government stating that they would observe crop holiday if the government failed to provide MSP of Rs 1500 per quintal of paddy before June 20. It may be noted that similar protests were made by farmers in the Amalapuram area of East Godavari district and they too warned the government of crop holiday if it fails to provide MSP for paddy.Expressing concern over non-payment of remunerative price, farmers led by opposition parties tried to lay siege to the camp office of minister K Parthasarathi here on May 20 but the police thwarted their attempt. They marched up to Krishna river and threw some paddy into the river in a symbolic protest.All India Rytu Sangham secretary Kolli Nageswara Rao and district unit president Y Kesava Rao warn that the agitation will be continued till the government provides MSP for paddy. They say farmers have suffered losses due to rain in last December and due to lack of remunerative price during the Rabi season.Mylavaram MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao also staged a sit-in at the Food Corporation of India’s office demanding that FCI buy paddy from farmers as the state government had failed to do so. He also complained of scarcity of gunny bags in the district. Despite an assurance by special officer Karikala Vallavan during his visit to the district on May 17, officials failed to purchase the total paddy reserves from the farmers.TDP president Chandrababu Naidu, during his visit to the district, expressed surprise over tardy purchase of paddy and lack of remunerative price, and asked farmers to launch a struggle.
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