The delay is causing financial strain for over four lakh farmers who sold their fine variety paddy to the Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation, with an estimated Rs.950 crore in bonuses still pending.
Hyderabad: Farmers across Telangana are growing increasingly frustrated as the State government’s promised Rs 500 per quintal bonus for A-grade paddy remains unpaid, even as Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations for the 2024-25 Kharif season are nearing completion. The delay is causing financial strain for over four lakh farmers who sold their fine variety paddy to the Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation, with an estimated Rs.950 crore in bonuses still pending.
The State government had announced the bonus last October to incentivise the cultivation of fine paddy varieties, promising swift payments within 48 hours of procurement. However, farmers in districts such as Mancherial, Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Yadadri Bhongir are on a long wait with some still unpaid since January.
Nizamabad alone recorded 800,000 metric tonnes of procurement, with over 700,000 metric tonnes being fine rice. However, the delay in bonus payments has led to frustration among farmers. With farmers heavily relying on these payments, the delay is causing financial stress. If the issue persists, it could impact fine rice cultivation in the upcoming seasons.
