Farmers Movement Archive

Telangana’s low tenant landholding bodes well for crop shift plan

HYDERABAD: Among top paddy cultivating states in the country, Telangana has the second-lowest tenant landholding at 17.3%. The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has the largest tenant landholding at 42% in the country. At a time when paddy cultivation and farm laws are being hotly debated in the country, data obtained by TOI reveals that states with high paddy extent have a minimum of 22% tenant holding. The low figure in Telangana, according to experts, is a positive sign for the state, particularly as crop diversification is being considered. As per the NSO’s “Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households, Land and Livestock Holdings In Rural India” data, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Assam are the other top paddy producing states in the country. According to the state's estimation, Telangana’s total agricultural landholding is 1 crore acres, with approximately 18 lakh acres under tenant holding. Experts aver that Telangana’s low percentage is due to landholding pattern, whereas the situation in Andhra Pradesh is due to social and cultural patterns as the majority of land-owning communities have migrated to other states and countries. “Going by Rythu Bandhu data, most owners in Telangana have small landholdings and they take extra land on lease for cultivation, which is good considering that unlike tenant farmers, owners will be more willing to experiment with crops and make changes even if it requires a little more investment,” said GV Ramanjaneyulu, agriculture scientist with the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA). Ramanjaneyulu, however, pointed out that MSP and other benefits go to landowners when it should go to tenant farmers instead. According to some observers, the tenant land percentage could very well be much higher in the state. But due to uncertainty surrounding MSP, it is estimated that small landholding owners who take extra land on lease for paddy may no longer do so. “Due to confusion over MSP for paddy, the land lease rates may drop to some extent. If benefits reach tenant farmers, it will help push required changes in the agriculture scene,” said Ravi Kanneganti of Rythu Swarajya Vedika.

The Times of India

2021-12-27

Hyderabad