PALAKKAD : Paddy farmers termed the government order on paddy procurement prices as flawed. According to the government order issued on March 3, 2014, farmers whose produce had been procured after the aforesaid date only will obtain the revised price of `19 per kg.
This has landed the farmers, whose produce had been bought by Supplyco before March 3, in a quandary. These farmers are set to lose Rs 1 per kg for their produce even though it had been procured in the same season.
The Government order GO (MS) No 69/2014 F & CSD dated 3/3/ 2014 had raised the procurement price of paddy from `18 per kilogram to `19 per kilogram.
“Due to the adoption of scientific methods in agriculture, it is possible to cultivate paddy earlier than usual. These fields get harvested earlier too. And it is these farmers who stand lose money due to the government order. Supplyco usually procures the second paddy crop in February, March and April. The paddy fields at Alathur in Palakkad are the first to be harvested and hence, these farmers stand to lose in a big way,” said the general secretary of the Desiya Karshaka Samajam Muthalamthode Mani.