Know Why Hundreds of Turmeric Farmers in Nizamabad are Protesting

Many turmeric farmers in Nizamabad have rioted at Armoor, requesting a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rupees 15,000 for each quintal. As the season starts, costs have dashed with ₹4,000-5,000 a quintal (contingent upon the quality) from rupees 5,500 to 6,000 half a month prior, falling much underneath the creation cost of rupees 7,500 a quintal. 

Irritated farmers have assembled a joint action council to request MSP of rupees 15,000 for each quintal from the centre. Around 4,000 farmers from different turmeric-developing zones in the State assembled at Mamidipalli close to Armoor and impeded the National Highway yesterday.  

Turmeric farmers spend around rupees 1.50 lakh for an acre of land to develop turmeric. Normally, they get around 20 quintals for an acre of land. Telangana is home to one-fourth of the country’s turmeric holding of 4.20 lakh acres of land, creating more than one-fourth of the nation's yearly creation of 11 lakh tons.  

Anvesh Reddy, a head of the Joint Action Committee of turmeric farmers, said "Prices have slammed as the marketing season starts. At rupees 4,000 for each quintal, it is not viable. The Government ought to intercede and declare a MSP of rupees 15,000 to guarantee profitable pay to the farmers". 

Activity plan:  

Farmers associated with different political groups and farmer affiliations have created a common stage to press their interests. The farmers endured intensely as heavy rainfall hit the crop yield in October. Efficiency as well as productivity was influenced due to water logging in many regions of the State.  

Both Nizamabad and Jagityal districts cover an area of 36,375 and 32,000 acres of land that comprises half of the State's total acreage of 1.33 lakh acres of land.  

Another head of the committee, Mr. V Prabhakar, requested the Government to set up a Turmeric Board, on the lines of the Tobacco Board, at Nizamabad to help address the issues confronted by them and elevate the produce. "They vowed to set up a board in the last decisions however neglected to set it up here," he said.  

The farmer’s panel will plan for a meeting post January 20, 2021 for undertaking an activity intended to deliver constraint on the Government. The farmers have additionally requested a reward of rupees 600 for every quintal for a fine assortment of paddy and keep on operating the procurement places.