JEYPORE: Farmers of the district on Monday breathed a sigh of relief as millers agreed to participate in paddy procurement. Since November 9, the farmers, who had harvested paddy, were running from pillar to post to sell their produce as 90 millers refused to take part in procurement process over certain demands.
Buckling under pressure from the district administration, 66 millers of Koraput district signed agreement with the Odisha Civil Supply Corporation for taking part in the Kharif Marketing Season 2018-19. They submitted the required document and bank guarantee to the District Civil Supply Officer. They were asked to begin procurement with immediate effect for smooth conduct of the process.
Koraput Millers Association president RP Panigrahi said all the interested millers will sign the agreement with the Civil Supply Department and begin procurement on Tuesday. As many as 107 mandis have been opened in Koraput and Jeypore sub-divisions for procurement.
On Saturday, the district administration had issued a notice to Koraput millers to sign the agreement for custom milling of paddy in the Kharif Marketing Season 2018-19 by Sunday or face disciplinary action.
Although 90 millers had expressed interest in participating in the procurement process that was to begin from November 9, they did not sign the agreement. With the millers abstaining, primary agriculture cooperative societies could not purchase paddy from farmers.
The district administration had decided to procure 14.5 lakh quintals of paddy through PACS from 33,000 farmers and give it to millers for custom milling in the current kharif season.
Paddy was cultivated in 45,000 hectares of land in Jeypore sub-division and 70 per cent of crops have been harvested. Small and medium farmers of Jeypore, Kotpad, Boiparigua, Lamtaput, Nandapur, Kundra and Borrigumma blocks have already harvested one lakh quintals of paddy in the last 15 days. They had appealed to the district administration to begin procurement at the earliest to avoid distress sale.