The demand for reduction in private operators paddy harvesting machines rental in Udupi district is likely to materialise with nearly ₹20 reduction in diesel price, deployment of 45 more machines by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project and unity among farmers.
While the government had fixed rental at ₹1,800 per hour for machines being rented out from its farmer service centres under the Yantradhara scheme, private operators were charging up to ₹2,500 an hour. However, only eight machines were available under the Yantradhara scheme across the district.
A day before, farmers organised a protest in Brahmavar demanding, among other things, an increase in minimum support price for paddy to ₹2,500 a qunital and reduction in rental for private harvesters.
Uday Bangera, a farmer in Mattu village, said that exorbitant rental charged by private operators was dissuading farmers from taking up paddy cultivation. “I am worried over continuing cultivation,” he said.
Santhosh Mattu, another farmer, said that the government should not stop at fixing rentals for machines at farmers service centres but it should deploy more machines.
Bharatiya Kisan Sangha Udupi district general secretary Japthi Sathyanarayana Udupa told The Hindu that farmers had been demanding maximum of ₹2,300 rental before the reduction in diesel price. Now, with diesel price getting reduced to ₹84.49 a litre from ₹103.91, they want further reduction. Negotiations were on with private operators, he said, hoping for a positive outcome.
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Y. Naveen Bhat said that the administration cannot fix rental of private operators since it was a free market. Nevertheless, the administration has asked them to fix the rental on a par with government rates. SKDRDP has deployed 45 additional machines from neighbouring districts and this should bring down rentals, he said.
SKDRDP Chief Operating Officer S. Anil Kumar said that deploying additional machines by SKDRDP in the district should bring down private harvesters rentals because of more competition. “We have been providing services at operational cost and even suffered losses,” he said.
Joint Director of Agriculture H. Kempe Gowda said that the administration has asked farmers to negotiate the prices with private operators. Untimely rain has affected harvesting and the situation can improve as the forecast does not predict rain in the coming days.