Untimely rains drench paddy, lack of trucks hinder procurement, postcard agitation picks momentum

HYDERABAD: Untimely rains played havoc with the farmers in parts of Dubbak, Ranga Reddy and Nizamabad. Farmers who have brought their produce to market yards could not save the paddy out in the open from the heavy downpour.

Paddy waiting to be purchased in several procurement centres of Dubbak constituency in Siddipet, Indalvayi village in Nizamabad was damaged because of the heavy downpour. Farmers could be seen trying to salvage the paddy completely submerged under the rainwater. Many of the farmers have no tarpaulins to cover their produce.

In Dharamasagar of Chevella mandal in Ranga Reddy districts many farmers like Balwanth Reddy lost their valuable Papaya crop. Reddy cultivated Papaya on seven acres in June. Just as when the papaya fruits were ripe and ready for marketing heavy gale winds and rains damaged the crop.

However, farmers who came to Kolanupaka PACS to sell their paddy were stranded because of a shortage of trucks to pick up their produce. The farmers organised a dharna at the procurement centre complaining that they had been waiting for the past three days for the transportation to arrive.

Meanwhile, in Chennur and Siddipet hundreds of farmers resorted to postcard agitation urging the Government to fulfill the promises it made to the farming community. They were demanding a Rs 500 bonus, Rs2 lakh crop loan waiver, Rs 25,000 compensation for the damaged crop.