Tenant farmers in a ₹1.4-crore debt trap

Chakrala Shekhar of Pottipally village located in Sadashivapet mandal is one among the several farmers who cultivated cotton in about 10 acres by taking land on lease from landlords. The lease amount varied from ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 per acre per annum and it has to be paid in advance.

“We have about 1,200 acres in the village out of which between 150 acres and 200 acres is not cultivated. Of this about 600 acres was cultivated by tenant farmers and mostly the lease amount is ₹15,000 per acre,” said Shekhar.

About 100 farmers of this village took land on lease and went for cotton farming, each investing about ₹40,000 per acre, thereby taking the total investment to ₹2.4 crore during the season. However, the cotton yield stood at four quintals per acre on an average and the price they received was about ₹4,300 per quintal. The farmers generated a total revenue of ₹1 crore and the loss stood at ₹1.4 crore. The total lease amount paid by these farmers stood at ₹90 lakh if we take the lease per acre as ₹15,000.

Incidentally, R. Nageswar (42), a cotton farmer who took as much as 21 acres on lease in this village committed suicide by consuming pesticide on March 4.

“Each farmer has incurred a loss of ₹1.4 lakh on an average while per acre the loss stood at ₹23,000. The loss is largely because of pink bollworm. No farmer in the village is happy with the conditions prevailing here, but there is no other alternative for them. The only option for them is to continue with the same farming as they do not know any other job,” said Pruthvi Raj, president, Manjeera Rythu Sangham.