BHUBANESWAR: With Odisha harvesting bumper paddy crops year after year due to improved seed replacement rate and use of modern methodology, the paddy procurement target set by the state government is not commensurate with the yield per acre.
Even as the government had decided not to impose any bar for procurement of any higher quantum of paddy coming to the mandi from registered farmers for 2018-19 kharif marketing season (KMS), the per acre production rate fixed by the Agriculture department is getting in the way of sale of surplus paddy under minimum support price system.
While per acre production of paddy has increased to about 40 quintal in irrigated areas and the average yield is more than 30 quintal in non-irrigated areas using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method, the state government is procuring 19 quintal per acre in irrigated and 12 quintal from non-irrigated land.
Farmers who have registered their names under the paddy procurement automation system (P-PAS) for selling their surplus paddy to government agencies under the price support system are unable to dispose of their stock due to such restriction.
Though members cutting across party lines expressed concern over non-lifting of surplus paddy from farmers during the current session of the Assembly, the state government seems non-committal.
The departmentally-related standing committee on Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare and Cooperation headed by Leader of Congress Legislature Party Narasingh Mishra has recommended the State Government to increase the limit of paddy procurement in view of the higher productivity.
“The committee asked the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department to discuss the issue with Agriculture officials and make a decision to do away with the limit imposed for procurement to enable farmers sell their harvest to enhance their economic strength. However, the department Secretary refused to procure the surplus paddy of farmers,” Mishra said.
The refusal of the Secretary to procure all the paddy that comes to mandis is violative of the decision taken in the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he added.
The State Government stopped paddy procurement from June 30 claiming to have achieved the target for the year. While a target of 55 lakh tonne of paddy was set for this year, the Government said it has already crossed the target and procured 65 lakh tonne.
The Assembly committee has also recommended the state government to write to the Centre to fix a rate for paddy which does not confirm to fair average quality (FAQ) for procurement under price support system.