BONAI (SUNDARGARH): Though paddy procurement is scheduled to start from December 15 in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district, small and marginal farmers in need of cash are resorting to distress sale of their produce at weekly village markets. Poor farmers are reportedly selling paddy at `1,000 to `1,200 per quintal at open markets against the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of `1,550 per quintal for FAQ (Fair Average Quality) paddy. Sources said distress sale of paddy has been a common phenomena in Bonai sub-division comprising Bonai, Lahunipara, Gurundia and Koira blocks.
Bonai Krushak Sangh (BKS) president and former member of District Level Paddy Procurement Committee Dambrudhar Kishan said a sizeable amount of poor farmers having little land holding or landless had cultivated paddy as sharecroppers. In absence of land records and also not certified by landowners, they are not entitled to sell paddy at the mandis. He pointed out that Chhabil Kishan of Bahrmannadi village harvested good amount of paddy from six acres taken on sharecropping basis, but he is not eligible for MSP.
Farmers Tahsil Patra and Indra Pardhan of Sarsara village said they need immediate cash to pay labourers and other debtors. Incidentally, some large farmers are also selling some portion of their stocks for `1,000-`1,200 to meet labour related expenditure. Agriculture officials also admitted about the distress sale of paddy at village weekly markets, including Lahunipara, Khuntgaon, Gamlei, Phuljor and Kurda. They said paddy production in the kharif season has been good with return of 18-25 quintals per acre of high-yield varieties like Swarna, Naveen and Pratiksha.
Market sources said amid abundant availability of paddy stocks, middlemen and rural traders are on the prowl. Kishan said in the sub-division, a sizable number of farmers having large land holdings do not originally cultivate and give their land for sharecropping, but they have registered themselves for paddy procurement. It was observed that unscrupulous middlemen procure paddy stocks from beleaguered farmers at throwaway prices.
Then, the stocks are sold at MSP at the procurement centres using the well-knit racket of middlemen, procurement officials and registered farmers. He said the small and marginal farmers resort to cultivation with borrowings from money lenders and once the crops are ready, they sell their stocks to rural traders and agents of rice mills at lower prices.Sundargarh Civil Supplies Officer (CSO) A Barik avoided to comment on the issue.