Telangana’s maize crisis exposes gaps in procurement, storage systems

Telangana Rythu Sangham questions why Rythu Vedikas, government schools and colleges in villages can't be used to store maize produce in times of unseasonal rains in Telangana

Hyderabad: Farmers producing maize in Telangana have been caught up in a climatic and political quagmire. Though the state government has been claiming to have opened procurement centres across the state, the unseasonal rains over the past couple of weeks have exposed the harsh reality of dealing with the harvested produce.

The problem has been more severe in the undivided Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

These districts contributed significantly to the Congress victory in the 2023 Assembly elections. However, the issue has also been affecting the northern Telangana districts.

Reasons behind delay in procurement

According to Muda Shobhan, Treasurer of Telangana Rythu Sangham (TRS), affiliated with the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), there are multiple reasons for the delay in maize procurement, at least in the undivided Khammam and Nalgonda districts.

While the unseasonal rains have left farmers scrambling to save their maize crops, the restrictions imposed by TG Markfed officials have added to their burden.

“The maximum maize that can be produced per acre is 40 quintals, but the officials at the procurement centres are accepting only 12 quintals per acre from farmers. Though the media reports that procurement centres have been opened, the ground reality is different,” he told Siasat.com.

Another issue affecting maize farmers is the lack of storage facilities, which are already fully occupied.

“For the past four to five years, people storing their grains in private godowns and cold storages have not moved their produce out. Unless they shift their lots, it will be impossible for new stock to move in,” he said.

This convenience for a few farmers has continued across governments and political parties.

“There are six to seven Rythu Vedikas in every mandal built during the BRS government. Why not use them to store these grains till they are procured?” he asked, also suggesting that schools and colleges could be used for storage as they are presently closed for summer vacations.

He stressed that the shifting of grains from farms to drying areas, and then to godowns, depended heavily on a systematic plan by the agriculture and marketing departments, which has been missing in the procurement process.

As for the maize being procured at the centres that are open, he said that after farmers sold their limited produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,400 per quintal, they were forced to sell the remaining produce — after reaching the procurement cap — to private traders for anywhere between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000 per quintal.

According to a report by Telangana Today, “In Khammam, about 30 to 40 per cent of maize was yet to be shifted to warehouses or market yard sheds from procurement centres.”

The report quoted officials stating that about 22,000 metric tonnes of maize had been procured by Markfed in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, while around 7,000 metric tonnes were yet to be procured.

Successive governments, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), have been advising farmers to avoid extending their harvest beyond the end of March and the first two weeks of April, as unseasonal rains driven by climate change could affect their produce, yield, and procurement prospects.

Several awareness programmes were conducted during the BRS regime and are continuing under the present Congress government.

El Niño effect

This time, due to the El Niño effect, climatic changes are being witnessed even during May.

Farmers were informed about this through various awareness programmes, with scientists suggesting short-term crops for cultivation during the Kharif season to help farmers better manage crop duration in the following Rabi season.

Despite decades of awareness campaigns and centuries of farming knowledge, the situation has remained unchanged.

The result is delayed harvests, unseasonal rains, inadequate storage facilities, the Centre’s restrictions on procurement, and political drama whenever a farmer dies inside or outside a procurement centre — whether by suicide, sunstroke, or any other reason.