The Telangana government has decided to procure additional stocks of maize, jowar and sunflower after weeks of farmer protests over delays in the state’s crop procurement operations, with an extra Rs 1,800 crore allocated on top of the Rs 4,000 crore already sanctioned for maize procurement.
Why farmers took to the streets
Farmers in districts including Kamareddy, Adilabad, Warangal, Mulugu and Narayanpet staged highway blockades in recent weeks, alleging that procurement of paddy, maize and other grains was delayed by 15 to 40 days despite a bumper harvest, cultivated across more than 12.94 lakh acres with an estimated yield of 39 lakh metric tonnes.
Government response
Officials confirmed that state procurement agency MARKFED has been directed to step up maize and jowar purchases in response to the protests, with the additional funding intended to clear the backlog of unprocured grain sitting with farmers.
What farmers are watching next
Farmer groups say the real test will be how quickly procurement centres actually clear the pending stock, given that similar assurances during earlier procurement seasons were followed by continued delays on the ground. State officials say the expanded funding should allow procurement to catch up in the coming weeks.
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