Adilabad jowar farmers protest against govt delay in procurement; collector seeks 3 days
In June 2022, around six Adivasi farmers who cultivated jowar died by suicide in Adilabad as they could not afford investments for the next season.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 20 Jun 2022 1:25 PM GMT
Adilabad: Around 200 jowar farmers of Adilabad came out onto one of the national highways in Adilabad on 20 June to protest against the Telangana government's delay in procuring jowar. Due to the delay, the farmers are forced to sell their crops at throwaway prices to traders, incurring huge losses.
The government has announced an MSP of Rs. 2,780 per quintal for jowar this year. But the farmers, due to the delay in procurement and to meet their immediate cash requirements, are selling off their yield at Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,700 per quintal. "We have no money to buy seeds for the next season's crop. Here, there is no Rythu Bhima scheme being implemented as well. We want the government to intervene and help us," says Boranna, a jowar farmer from Indraveli puram in Garudapuram, Adilabad. Meanwhile, during the protests, Boranna was taken away by the police in their van but was later released after he spoke to the District Collector.
The farmers were then allowed to meet district collector Sikta Patnaik. She appealed to the protesting farmers to stop the protests and wait for two-three days. She also assured them of a positive outcome. The farmers said they will wait three days for the collector's response, and if she does not respond, they will resume their protest.
According to the protesting farmers, in June 2022, around six Adivasi farmers who cultivated jowar died by suicide in Adilabad as they could not afford investments for the next season. On 14 June, Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV), an NGO working exclusively for farmers' rights, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Telangana High Court urging the government to start procuring jowar from farmers. In 2021, too, there was a delay in procurement of jowar. Initially, state agriculture minister Singireddy Noranjanreddy had said the government will not procure jowar that year citing the Union government's farm laws. It was only after farmers' protests across Telangana, a PIL filed by RSV, and the High Court order that the state agreed to procure jowar.
