The Kissan Khet Mazdoor Congress (KKMC) of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has demanded a white paper on the steps proposed to be taken by the government for rabi crop.
lleging that shortage of farm labourers, hike in prices of pesticides and farm equipment coupled with irregularities in the supply of seeds have farmers at the end of their tether, chairman of KKMC Amiya Kumar Patnaik said benefits of the schemes launched by the Centre are also not reaching them.
Patnaik said though the Centre provided sufficient funds under the seed village scheme to the State Government to make Odisha self-sufficient in seed production, the State has not been able to produce paddy and groundnut seeds.
This has resulted in supply of sub-standard seeds from outside the State to the farmers, Patnaik added that large scale irregularities were reported in supply of seeds to farmers during the last kharif season. Though the State Government had decided to provide 15,000 quintals of groundnut seeds for 10,000 hectares, only 10,500 quintals could be supplied. Patnaik alleged that 5,000 quintal were sold in the open market by departmental officials.