JEYPORE: Farmers of Koraput district heaved a sigh of relief with millers beginning to lift paddy from mandis. Paddy had remained unsold in the mandis for several days with the millers refusing to lift the stock demanding paddy of fair average quality (FAQ) from the farmers. Till Thursday, over 50,000 quintal of paddy was lying at different village points and mandis in Jeypore and Koraput sub-divisions for sale due to the dispute.
The district administration had opened mandis on November 9 for procurement but the millers refused to participate over several demands. They joined in the procurement process on November 26 following pressure from the administration. Subsequently, officials of Civil Supply Department and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), who are authorised for paddy quality measurement in the district, asked the farmers to bring FAQ standard paddy to the procurement centre for sale.
The farmers, on the other hand, said they brought the best quality paddy to the market yards. While the officials suggested to the millers to purchase paddy stocks by negotiating with farmers, the latter urged them to accept the rice after custom milling. As the stand-off continued, procurement came to a halt. Till two days back, only 323 quintal of paddy was purchased in the district.
With no other way out, the district administration announced to rope in millers from other districts for procurement following which, the local millers began lifting the stock on Friday. On the day, 3,200 quintal was lifted in Kotpad, Kundra and Jeypore blocks after negotiating with the farmers on FAQ norms. The farmers provided additional two to three kgs of paddy to the millers owning to presence of impurities in the stock. District Civil Supply Officer TR Nayak said the procurement process has been stepped up in the mandis and senior officials are monitoring it.
Meanwhile, members of Koraput Nabanirman Krushak Sangha led by Narendra Pradhan met Jeypore Sub-Collector LN Dalabehera on Saturday and demanded that the paddy procurement limitation fixed by administration should be enhanced from 1,000 quintals to 4,000 quintals. The Sub-Collector assured them of taking up the matter with the Collector.
5 rice mills raided
District administration raided five rice mills in Jeypore and Kundra blocks, suspecting illegal stocking of huge quantity of paddy in the mills on Saturday. Officials of Civil Supply and Revenue departments, SOUTCHO and police jointly raided these mills and verified the stocks. They sealed a mill in Kundra block. However, there was no seizure. Apparently, all the mills that were raided belong to leaders of Koraput Millers Association. The administration has also served show cause notices to 13 mills in Koraput district for non-participation in procurement process.