A survey of tenant farmers across Telangana has found their widespread exclusion from crucial government agricultural support systems, raising concerns over the viability of cultivation for lakhs of farmers who lease land but lack formal recognition.The findings emerged from a 2026 survey conducted by the Kaulu Raitula Gurtimpu Sadhana Committee (Tenant Farmers’ Recognition Struggle Committee), which covered 1,816 tenant farmers across 57 villages in 47 mandals spanning 22 districts. The study found that tenant cultivators face major barriers in accessing subsidised fertilizers, crop procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), disaster relief and institutional crop loans.According to the report, access to subsidised urea has become increasingly difficult due to a recently introduced app-based system requiring landowners’ One-Time Password (OTP) verification. During the recent Rabi season, only 412 of the 1,816 surveyed tenant farmers constituting about 22.8 per cent could purchase subsidised urea at the official rate. Only 40 tenants managed to secure the fertilizer under their own names, while others depended on landowners’ identities.Those unable to access the subsidy reportedly purchased urea from the open market at nearly double the subsidised price.Tenant farmers also reported major hurdles in selling crops through government procurement systems. Platforms such as Kapas Kisan for cotton, Online Procurement Management System for paddy and Markfed procurement require Pattas and Aadhaar linkage, or OTP-based approval from the land owner, making it very difficult for tenant farmers to sell to government procurement agencies, the survey found.As per the report, only 6.7 per cent of cotton-growing tenant farmers sold produce directly to the Cotton Corporation of India in their own names. For paddy, only 20 per cent of tenants in Kharif-2025 and 17.2 per cent in Rabi-2025 could access procurement under their own identities. Many farmers reportedly resorted to selling crops under other farmers’ names, after paying hefty commissions. The direct tenant procurement for other crops by Markfed stands at just 8.5 per cent.The report also highlighted severe exclusion from disaster compensation and crop loans. While over 85 per cent of surveyed farmers suffered crop losses due to floods, heavy rains or hailstorms in the past three years, only 11 farmers received compensation in their own accounts. In several cases, landowners received disaster compensation but did not extend it to tenants.Tenant cultivators also remained outside formal crop loan systems, forcing dependence on private borrowing at interest rates ranging between 24 and 36 per cent.Measures taken by the government to include tenant farmers in procurement systems have been ad hoc and not implemented uniformly, the report noted.Highlighting these issues, the committee has urged the Telangana government to implement the 2011 Land Licensed Cultivators Act and formally recognise tenant farmers to ensure direct access to welfare and agricultural support systems. It demanded a uniform system for all schemes and crops, with eligibility based on the tenant cultivator cards. Published - June 09, 2026 09:18 pm IST