JEYPORE: The procurement of rabi paddy, which was scheduled to start in Koraput district from Friday, has been deferred by a week by the administration following delay in harvesting process by farmers. The mandis will now be operational from June 3.
The administration had decided to begin paddy sale in 65 spots in Jeypore and Koraput sub divisions from May 27. However, there was no sufficient stock available for transaction due to delay in paddy harvesting in several pockets.
Sources said after plot-wise scrutiny of paddy cultivation through satellites, the number of farmers who were likely to sell in the mandis came down from 19,371 to 15,000. About 25,000 hectare (ha) land was cultivated for rabi paddy in January this year but due to delay in cultivation by over one month, harvesting activities are lagging behind. Only 30 per cent (pc) paddy are reportedly cut till now while remaining are yet to ripen.
Koraput civil supplies officer PK Panda said, "We postponed the date for opening of mandis after getting ground reports of slow harvesting.”