The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Farmers accuse FCI of bias

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Farmers accuse FCI of bias

By Our Staff Reporter

TADEPALLIGUDEM (WG DIST), SEPT. 2. Representatives of farmers on Thursday alleged that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was biased in favour of northern states in the procurement of paddy.

Speaking at a programme organised by the FCI here to create awareness among farmers on quality specifications with respect to procurement of paddy by the FCI, the General Secretary of the Rytu Karyacharana Samithi State, Mallina Janakaiah, said the FCI was pursuing a "dual policy" in paddy procurement. While enforcing specifications in paddy procurement, it was being soft on the North and harsh on the South, he said.

`Raw deal'

Farmers were getting a raw deal in the sale of their produce to the FCI because of its "draconian specifications," particularly in connection with the Shrunken, Swivelling and Immature (SSI) ratio in paddy, Mr Janakaiah said. The FCI was penalising farmers by imposing cuts in the payment of minimum support price (MSP) on the ground of swivelling grains, for which they were in no way responsible, he said.

He alleged that the FCI was subjecting farmers in the South to utter discrimination by "yielding" to the lobby from the North.

The president of the State unit of the Federation of Farmers Associations, Maganti Sitaramaiah, highlighted the need for relaxation of the SSI specifications. Recalling that the SSI ratio in paddy had been brought down to three per cent from six per cent, he wanted it to be relaxed up to eight per cent to ensure a better deal for farmers.

Direct purchase sought

He said the farmers were subjected to "gross injustice" in the fixing of MSP by the Government. The exercise relating to the MSP fixing was half-baked, he said.

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