The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Paddy and price

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Tuesday, Dec 11, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Paddy and price

The quality of paddy depends on the size of its grain. If the grain’s length is 2.5 times the breadth and more, the paddy is then called ‘A’ grade. If the length is below the specification, it is called common variety. Many other features like discolouration are also taken into consideration while deciding the quality and price.

In a good season with favourable weather, parameters of A-grade grain can usually be maintained. But taken as a whole, common variety’s share is more in the market.

Farmers express concern whenever there is no good price.

The problem arises on a bigger scale when there is rain during the cutting season.

As this year’s season is good, the price being offered in the market is being seen as a ‘good price’. But, what the farmers and their associations demand now is a ‘better price’.

They would have been content with just the ‘good price’ had the situation been adverse.

It is only when everything is favourable that the demand arises for ‘better price’ and it is always so, a rice miller at Gudivada told this reporter recently, in a rather mater-of-fact tone.

A symbol of love, verily

The legend goes that Nandi Timmanna, the great poet in the royal court of Sri Krishnadevaraya, wrote a poem on the beauty of women’s noses that earned him the popular title ‘Mukku’ Timmanna.

The poet’s fascination for nose might not have created any embarrassment for him, but an old man’s liking for film actor Gowri Munjal’s nose created a few embarrassing moments for the petite actor recently.

Gowri, who was in the city to inaugurate the Vijayawada Gold and Diamond Jewellery Fair, received an elderly person, who was accompanied by his wife, with a broad smile when the couple, star struck, approached her. But she was clearly taken aback when the senior citizen shook her nose, much like elders do to children.

Lest the actor misunderstood the gesture, somebody from the crowd shouted that it was, indeed, a gesture of “grandpa’s love and affection.”

Tired of smiling?

Ever heard a complaint from any person that he/she is getting tired of smiling? Film producer and distributor ‘Dil’ Raju says he is.

At the end of a press meet addressed by the film unit of Sekhar Kammula-directed hit ‘Happy Days’ in the city recently, lensemen asked the entire unit to pose for a photo session.

With the actors, directors and the distributor looking into the cameras rather seriously, a photographer came out with the usual professional demand: “Sir, smile please.”

And, he quickly offered a justification for his demand: “After all, your film’s name is ‘Happy Days’.” Pat came the answer from ‘Dil’ Raju: “We have been smiling for the past 10 weeks, as this film’s enormous success has made us smile non-stop from day one of its release.” Well, that seems to be a small price to pay for the success.

In different mode

Ayyappa Swamy is the ruling God of this season and every other person you come across in the city is found walking barefoot with a full black uniform sporting an unshaved beard and those in politics cannot remain untouched.

Two of the five ministers, who had attended the series of foundation-laying and inauguration programmes organised in Kuchenapudi Assembly constituency -- Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana -- were in Ayyappa attire and suddenly their talking style changed.

They wanted to pass caustic remarks against Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, but guarded use of words calling him ‘Swamy’ at times, added some lighter moments.

(G. Ravikiran, G.V.R. Subba Rao and K.N. Murali Sankar in Vijayawada and Ramesh Susarla in Guntur)

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