BARGARH: Paddy procurement for kharif season commenced in Bargarh district on Wednesday.
This time, the farmers will be given a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,100 per quintal, which was a key campaign promise of the BJP during the elections. Civil Supplies minister Krushna Chandra Patra performed a few rituals and felicitated several farmers at Kalapani mandi on the day.
He assured the farmers that the procurement process will be transparent and their payments will be directly credited to their bank accounts on time. The procurement started in three mandis at Bargarh, Attabira and Godbhaga on the day.
“It is nothing less than a festival for farmers as we are going to fulfil the promise of procuring paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal. Bargarh supplies maximum paddy to the state pool and we are glad to start the procurement from here,” said Patra.
He said farmers would not face any deduction from their paddy stock this year. Moreover, adequate steps have been taken to ensure that paddy from other states do not enter the mandis. The farmers will get the right price for their produce, he added.
Bargarh collector Aditya Goyal said, “The paddy procurement began from three mandis on the first day. Adequate infrastructure and testing equipment have been ensured in mandis. A nodal officer will be deployed in every mandi to ensure smooth procurement.”
For the ensuing kharif season, as many as 1,55,366 registered farmers have been verified for selling their paddy. Target has been set for procuring 23,54,347 quintal of paddy from Bargarh which is considered to be the rice bowl of Odisha.
The farmers have been assured that the procurement will be free from the intervention of middlemen and they will not have to face deduction (katni-chhatni) like previous years.
The government will procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal including the MSP of Rs 2,300 and a bonus of Rs 800. However, farmers will have to bring FAQ standard paddy to the mandis to get the right price. Grain analyser machines have been installed at the mandis this year to ensure the quality of paddy.
However, despite the government’s assurance, communication gaps have left some farmers skeptical. On the first day, irregularities in token system were reported from the district. A farmer from Kalapani, Ekadasia Sahu said, “We were expecting the minister to listen to our concerns. Though he felicitated us, we did not get a chance to convey our problems.”
He said several farmers who had come with their paddy did not receive their tokens on the first day. On the other hand, those who are not ready with their produce have already been issued tokens. Such irregularities have become a recurring issue, he said.
A large section of the farmers are also suspicious of the grain analyser machine. Farmer leader Hara Bania said, “We are grateful to the government for implementing the new MSP. However, the installation of grain analyser machine has triggered uncertainty among farmers in the district.”
Change for better
Farmers to get MSP of Rs 3,100
No katni chhatni during procurement this time
Analyser machines to test quality of paddy at mandis
Procurement in Deogarh from Dec 13
Deogarh: Kharif paddy procurement in the Deogarh district will begin from Barkote and Tileibeni blocks on December 13. In a meeting, collector Kabindra Kumar Sahoo informed procurement process would begin in the Reamal block from December 20.
Sources said kharif paddy will be procured from as many as 19,633 registered farmers this season. The district has three rice mills. For the first time after the formation of the new government, the district has been given an advanced target to procure 5,07,029 quintal paddy.
Sahoo assured that the procurement process will be free from intervention of middlemen this year. “Stringent action will be taken against middlemen and brokers and they will not be allowed to enter the mandis,” he said.