Hyderabad, April 21 -- Farmers growing chickpea in Jainath mandal of Adilabad district protested by holding a sit-in on the highway on Tuesday, April 21, demanding that the state government procure the entire crop they produced in their mandal.

The farmers, who united under an all-party Joint Action Committee, said they were worried since the chickpea procurement centre that was set up in the Jainath agricultural market yard on March 25 had only procured around 24,000 quintal of produce till now, leaving around 85,000 quintal with them.

Lingareddy, a leader of the farmers' JAC, told the media that chickpea was produced in 12,400 acre in 18 gram panchayats of Jainath mandal, but only produce from six gram panchayats has been procured til...