Karimnagar: Paddy farmers in Karimnagar district are selling their produce at lower prices amid fears of rainfall due to the impact of Cyclone Arnab.
Fine variety paddy is in high demand as production has declined due to deficit rainfall attributed to the El Nino effect.
Anticipating a shortage of rice in the coming months, traders and rice millers had approached farmers directly and offered prices higher than the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government.
However, cloudy weather across the district over the past few days has raised concerns among farmers, although the cyclone did not bring rainfall to the area.
Fearing possible rain, farmers have accelerated harvesting and approached traders to sell their produce.
Traders have taken advantage of the situation and reduced the prices, after initially offering higher rates even for wet paddy.
The price has fallen by 600 per quintal in 10 days. Depending on the variety and quality, fine variety paddy was being purchased at 3,200 to 3,500 per quintal at the beginning of the harvesting season.
The price had fallen to 2,600 on Saturday.
It declined by another Rs 300 in the past three days.
Potharaju Chandramouli of Valbapur village in Veenavanka mandal sold seven quintals of paddy at 2,900 per quintal on Tuesday. When he approached the same trader on Saturday to sell the remaining produce, he was offered only 2,600 per quintal.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Chandramouli said he was shocked when the trader told him that he could not offer more than 2,600.
He said traders had reduced prices as more farmers were approaching them to sell their produce. Another farmer, Dommati Raju, said the cyclone had become a boon for traders.
He alleged that traders and rice millers had joined hands to reduce prices.
Traders who had initially offered higher prices even for wet paddy were now citing moisture content and substandard quality to deny higher rates.
With no clarity on when the government would open its procurement centres, most farmers were selling their produce to middlemen at lower prices.
Raju said farmers feared they would not get even that amount if their crop was soaked in rain.
The government has announced an MSP of 2,461 per quintal for fine variety paddy.
Including the 500 bonus, farmers are to receive 2,961 per quintal.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
