Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Tenant Farmers Challenge Mandatory IDs for Crop Procurement
Tenant farmers in Andhra Pradesh say a new rule could stop them from selling crops at government purchasing centres.
The rule requires farmers to have a special Farmer ID.
Many tenant farmers do not have these IDs or Crop Cultivator Rights Cards.
The farmers’ association says tenants often grow the crops but must sell them under the landowners’ names.
This can make tenants lose money and government benefits.
The association also says a similar requirement for crop insurance caused many tenants to lose insurance support.
It wants officials to check who is actually farming each field.
It says crops should be purchased in the actual cultivator’s name.
The Andhra Pradesh Koulu Rythu Sangham urged the government to withdraw mandatory Farmer IDs for crop procurement.
The association said tenant farmers cultivate nearly 80% of Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural land.
It alleged that missing Crop Cultivator Rights Cards and Farmer IDs force tenants to sell crops under landowners’ names.
AP Markfed and the Civil Supplies Corporation were instructed to buy crops only from land parcels linked to valid Farmer IDs.
The association said 51.83 lakh farmers had been registered against a state target of 64.71 lakh IDs.
- Who
- The Andhra Pradesh Koulu Rythu Sangham, representing tenant farmers, and State Agriculture Department procurement agencies.
- What
- The association demanded withdrawal of the mandatory Farmer ID requirement for selling crops at government procurement centres.
- When
- During the ongoing kharif season; the demand was issued in a Wednesday press release.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh, including procurement through AP Markfed and the Civil Supplies Corporation.
- Why
- The association says many tenant farmers lack Farmer IDs and Crop Cultivator Rights Cards, risking exclusion from procurement, insurance and welfare benefits.
Tenant Farmers’ Association
Mandatory Farmer ID Policy
Access to procurement centres
Tenant Farmers’ Association
The association says making Farmer IDs compulsory could prevent tenant farmers from selling crops at government procurement centres because many lack the required documents.
Mandatory Farmer ID Policy
The Agriculture Department has required procurement agencies to purchase crops only from land parcels linked to valid Farmer IDs.
How cultivators should be identified
Tenant Farmers’ Association
The association wants field-level verification so crops can be procured in the name of the person actually cultivating the land.
Mandatory Farmer ID Policy
The current policy uses a valid Farmer ID linked to the land parcel as the procurement requirement.
Effect on tenant farmers
Tenant Farmers’ Association
The association says the policy could cause financial losses and deny tenants procurement, insurance and welfare benefits.
Mandatory Farmer ID Policy
The reported policy remains in force for the ongoing kharif procurement season, though the articles do not state the government’s response to the criticism.
- Association
- Andhra Pradesh Koulu Rythu Sangham
- Affected group
- Tenant farmers
- Land cultivated by tenants
- Nearly 80% of agricultural land in Andhra Pradesh, according to the association
- Farmer ID target
- 64.71 lakh
- Farmer IDs registered
- 51.83 lakh
- Crops mentioned
- Green gram, black gram, red gram, Bengal gram and paddy
- Proposed alternative
- Field-level verification of the actual cultivator instead of using Farmer ID as the sole criterion