Untimely rains rub salt into wounds of farmers in distress

HYDERABAD: Sudden rains have been pushing the farmers, who brought their paddy to procurement centres, into severe stress for the past couple of days. Even after drying their produce to bring down moisture content, back-to-back rains are giving ryots sleepless nights.

Due to a 40-minute heavy shower at Rudrangi IKP centre in Rajanna-Sircilla district on Friday, a huge quantity of paddy that was being dried by farmers got completely soaked in rainwater. Though the farmers tried to cover the paddy heaps using tarpaulin covers, their efforts went in vain due to strong winds.

Farmers in Gangadhara mandal of Karimnagar, who had been waiting for procurement for many weeks, were also shocked by the sudden rains that washed their produce away. Similar rains were witnessed in Chevella mandal of Rangareddy district too that have left farmers, who had dried their paddy and maize produce at market yards and procurement centres, in severe losses. Ryots said that delay in procurement in the name of moisture content resulted in this situation.