Hyderabad, Oct.23 (Hydnow): Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao today announced that Corn would be purchased at the Minimum Support Price through the Purchasing Centres created for the Paddy in the villages. The CM said that Corn would be purchased at the rate of Rs 1850 per Quintal through the Markfed and he urged farmers to utilise the opportunity. The CM was upset that though the government had asked the farmers not to cultivate Maize in the rainy season as the Corn would not be able to get the MSP but yet some farmers cultivated the Maize. He said that some farmers cultivated the Maize against the government’s advice and as such the government had no responsibility to buy the Corn. But yet, with the sole intention that farmers should not be put to loss, the government has decided to bear the loss and purchase the Corn from farmers at the MSP.
“During last summer, the government through the Markfed purchased nine lakh tonnes of Corn and spent Rs 1668 Crore. Since the Corn purchased did not get any price in the open market it was auctioned. The Open Auction of Corn got only Rs 823 Crore. As a result Markfed incurred Rs 845 Crore losses. Markfed purchased the Corn at Rs 1760 per Quintal. With Procurement and transportation costs, the cost was Rs 2000 per Quintal. But in the auction Markfed got only Rs 1150 per quintal. It incurred a loss of Rs 850 per quintal. Since there is no market for the Corn all over the country, it has to be sold at a lower price,” the CM explained.
Keeping these facts in mind, the state government has urged farmers not to go in for the Maize cultivation in the rainy season. It suggested maize could be cultivated as multiple crop along with Turmeric in Nizamabad, Nirmal, Jagtial and Mahabubabad and other districts. Some farmers did not pay heed to the advice given by the government and agriculture officers and cultivated the maize. Since there is no good price for the Corn, they are on the brink of incurring losses. But the Telangana state is known in the country as the only state, which is implementing several pro-farmer, pro-agriculture polices and schemes. The state is working with the sole aim of welfare of farmers. The state mobilized the farmers to make them into a formidable force. It had coordinated the farmers and is implementing for the first time in the country, Regulatory Farming Policy. Without anyone asking or making any request, for the first time in the country, one-lakh threshing floors are created in the farmlands to dry crops and 2,600 Rythu Vedikas are being constructed. Would this government, which has taken so many measures, keep quiet when Maize farmers are about to incur losses. The answer is no and hence we have decided to buy the Corn,” the CM said.
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KCR also asked the officials to Purchase Corn in the purchasing centres created for the Paddy purchase in the villages. He said that Markfed, Agriculture and Civil Supplies departments should be coordinated to purchase the Corn. “We have decided to buy Corn, as we do not want our farmers to incur losses. We are once again requesting farmers not to cultivate maize in the summer season under any circumstances. Do not cultivate maize as advised by the government. Despite repeated appeals, if anyone farmer goes for the Maize cultivation, the government will not take any responsibility. The government will not purchase Corn cultivated in the summer season,” the CM made it clear.
He also said that the State government had brought in Regulatory Farming Policy only to get good price for the agriculture produce and added that Farmers also, through this policy, had shown their awareness. “They should also show such maturity in the maize cultivation. In fact it was due to the wrong policy of the BJP government at the Centre, the local Corn lost its price in the market. The Centre has reduced the import duty on the Corn from 50 per cent to 15 percent. This has directly led to steep fall in the price of Corn. Leaders of the party, which was responsible for the fall in Corn price, are playing cheap politics here. Farmers should be aware of this. They should not listen to those creating problems for the political gains,” the CM advised. (Hydnow)