Paddy farmers here have been seeking a solution to the water stagnation at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yards here bringing them losses, as it deteriorates the quality of rice and leads to reduction in market prices. With less than two weeks to go for the Assembly elections, political parties in the district have made it an election issue.
The Congress and JD(S) have promised to resolve the problems of the paddy farmers and provide additional facilities, if voted to power.
Farmers and labourers in Raichur claim this has been an issue in the city for more than 10 years and that “nothing has been done by the governments in the past” to resolve it.
The major agricultural produce of Raichur include rice, cotton, groundnut and pulses.
District president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (a farmers’ association in the state) Laxman Gowda blamed the problem on improper planning and infrastructure at APMC yards.
“There was no shed at APMC market earlier. The rice sacks used to get soaked in rain water completely and it spoiled the quality of the rice. Because of poor underground drainage system here, the rain water stagnates on the ground,” Gowda told PTI.
“Even as the government spent Rs 30 crore to build these sheds, the farmers have nothing to benefit from it,” he added. “After it rained in Raichur on Friday, the rains caused a loss of around Rs 25 lakh in a single day. Nobody compensates us, not the government nor APMC. It is the farmers who face the loss and suffer.” The farmers’ association had staged protests multiple times urging the government to resolve the matter.