Procurement Breakdowns Spur Farmer Protests in Telangana’s Khammam and Kothagudem

Overview

• Farmers held a flash protest at Mudigonda mandal headquarters and staged a sit-in on the Khammam–Kodad road to press for faster crop purchases.
• An online procurement portal failure left growers waiting at a Mudigonda center for three days, with many staying outside PACS offices day and night.
• Protesters demanded scrapping the online purchase process and immediate transport of maize bags already weighed at buying centers.
• In Kothagudem, a Telangana Rythu Sangham leader said staff were docking up to five kilograms per lot as wastage, cutting farmers’ payouts.
• Strict fair average quality checks, which screen moisture and grain condition, slowed paddy intake in Penagadapa to about four farmers a day, and no official fix has been reported.