JEYPORE: Even as procurement for Kharif marketing season is nearing end, excess paddy is giving sleepless nights to farmers of Koraput district. The State Government had given the procurement target of 20.4 lakh quintal and the civil supply officials have already procured 20 lakh quintal through PACS and SHGs. Procurement will end on February 5.
This Kharif season, there was bumper paddy production in Jeypore, Borrigumma, Kundra and Kotpad blocks with farmers, on an average, producing 25 quintal paddy from one acre of land. With Government limiting procurement to 19 quintals from one acre, farmers are left with excess stock that no one is interested to buy. Farmers said due to availability of `1 per kg subsidised rice, no one, including millers, wants to buy paddy directly from them.
On Monday, farmers appealed to the district administration to enhance the procurement target from 19 quintals per acre to 25 quintals per acre. District Civil Supply officials said they would urge the State Government to increase the target.