JAGATSINGHPUR: Farmers of Jagatsinghpur are worried, with the government yet to begin procurement of pulses and groundnuts.
This crop season, the district has witnessed bumper production of green gram (Moong), black gram (Biri) and groundnuts. As demand for pulses and groundnuts is always high, farmers (share croppers in particular) decided to take up cultivation of the crops despite the fact the Government did not offer subsidy on seeds.
Moong was sown in 42,116 hectares (ha) and the Agriculture department had set a target to procure 2.50 lakh quintals through NAFED, MARKFED and Odisha State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd by April first week.
For Moong, the Centre has fixed a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,225 per quintal, including Rs 425 as bonus. For groundnut, MSP is Rs 4,220 per quintal, including Rs 100 as bonus and MSP for black gram is Rs 5,000 per quintal, including Rs 425 as bonus.
As per the Central Government’s suggestion, the State Government has directed all district agriculture officers to fix target for procurement of pulses and groundnuts in the State. Accordingly, agriculture officials of the district sent the procurement target report to the State Government.
However, a month has passed but procurement is yet to begin. As a result, Moong farmers are being forced to sell their produce at Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per quintal and similar is the plight of farmers who cultivated groundnuts and black grams. Activists of Naba Nirman Krushak Sangthan have submitted a memorandum to the local administration demanding immediate procurement. They also demanded opening of two procurement centres in each block so that farmers can easily sell their produce.
Assistant District Agriculture Officer Nilamani Dash said as per the proposal, the Agriculture department had decided to procure only Moong for the time being. So far, three procurement centres have been opened in Jagatsinghpur, Raghunathpur and Balikuda and procurement of Moong would begin from next week.