Nizamabad sources have stated that the drastic fall in the price of red sorghum or jowar from 4,800 last year to 2,100 this year has caused panic among farmers as it will not even cover the investment and the traders have formed a cartel to rig the price to their advantage, the farmers said and appealed to the Government to come to their rescue to ensure a profitable price of at least 4,000 per quintal. The farmers who were happy with the bumper harvest are now tense about its sale.
It was stated that Red jowar used as cattle fodder in North India is mainly grown in Nandipet, Armoor, Balkonda, Velpur, Morthad, Kammarpally, Bheemgal, Jakranpally and Darpally mandals in the district. The crop is planted in 45,000 to 50,000 acres every year in these mandals, the maximum extent under the crop in the country.
Taher Bin Hamdan, farmer and DCC president had stated that the
traders have a poor track record in payment. Many times they pay only a part of
the amount and default. “Last year I had sown red jowar and lost 94,000 as the
trader who purchased paid only part of the amount. This year I did not sow the
crop. In fact, the traders have to pay 7 crore arrears to farmers".
Meanwhile apart from governments of Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Chattishgarh, Delhi and Maharashtra, there are also private persons from there who buy the crop. However, they do not come to the market but their agents do the buying on their behalf. They purchase the crop on credit and make farmers run round them for payment.
