HAPPY TIMES: A family winnowing jowar on the Jogipet-Medak road. — photo: Mohd Arif

SANGAREDDY : Even as the minimum support price (MSP) for the pulses like green and black gram, including the State Government's bonus stood at Rs. 1,750 this kharif, the market price of Rs. 2,200 to 2,700 per quintal has come as a big boost to the farmers growing pulses in Medak district. Around 9,400 metric tonnes of green gram and 3,400 mt. of black gram is expected to reach the markets in Zaheerabad, Sadashivpet, Jogipet and Narayankhed in the district.

Shrinking acreage also has fuelled the rates of pulses. According to Joint Director of Agriculture

Loka Reddy, the acreage under the pulses has shrunk compared to the normal area of sowing during the last two years due to fluctuating rainfall. Green gram was sown only in 47,709 acres against 60,149 acres and black gram in 17,068 acres against 24,358 acres.

MSP for other crops

Minimum support prices of kharif crops under different stages of maturity have been announced. Rice grade-A is Rs. 610 per quintal, common variety Rs. 580, jowar (Maldadi) Rs. 5,555. Jowar (HB) Rs. 540, bajra , ragi and maize Rs. 540, groundnut with shell Rs. 1,550, soybean (yellow) Rs. 1,020, black Rs 900 and sunflower seed Rs.1,500. However, farmers might face a problem in marketing jowar because of discoloration caused by incessant and untimely rains. Similarly, maize generally grown in Siddipet, Gajwel, Ramayampet, Dubbaka, Narsapur divisions suffered moisture stress in two critical growth stages affecting its yield. The agriculture department has already requested the agencies to modify the standards of maize procurement to accommodate more farmers. For example, the permissible moisture content is 14 per cent; for shrivelled and irregular grains it is only 3 per cent.

Procurement centres

With most of the kharif crops reaching the harvesting to pre-harvesting stage, the district administration has made arrangements for the procurement of their produce. Procurement of maize will be done in 45 centres across the district from the second of week of October. Self-help groups of DRDA will also play an important role in the procurement. Similarly, 18 centres including eight by Civil Supplies, four by FCI and six by gramaikhya sanghams will be set up for procurement of paddy.

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