Even as pulses prices have touched `200 in market, moong (green gram) farmers are facing huge losses since they are yet to get their dues from the Government for past six months after selling the green gram and black gram seeds.
Meanwhile, traders are reluctant to purchase green gram and black gram (biri) from the farmers due to the ongoing massive de-hoarding drive by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department officials during in the past few days across the State.
The Government procures seeds of green gram and black gram from the farmers for supplying those to other farmers every year at subsidised rates.
Already, farmers have sold seeds to the State Seeds Corporation since May this year. However, the farmers are still waiting to get their payment on this head.
The farmers had sold seeds to the corporation during the period when the moong price was between `60 and `70 per kg in the market. Now, the moong dal is priced between `150 and `160. The price of black gram pulse has touched `180.
Sources said the current system in Government poses hindrance to provide appropriate price to farmers.
While the State Seeds Corporation has been providing seeds to farmers at subsidised rates, the subsidy amount is going to the Agriculture Department instead of the corporation, which later gets money from the department after showing the farmers’ list.
As it needs more time by going through the official process, the dues of farmers remain pending for months. On the other hand, the farmers pay big loan interest to banks for seeds.
The millers and traders, who were earlier procuring pulses from open market, are now putting their steps back from purchasing the food grains due to the raids conducted at godowns for illegally stocked pulses.
Meanwhile, the farmers, who had stocked moong and black gram to sell those at higher prices to the traders than market prices, have been disappointed. The farmers are now demanding that the Government purchase the pulses from them at the current market prices and pay their dues at the earliest.