The administrative mechanism to ensure timely paddy procurement notwithstanding, problems galore for farmers of this coastal district. It’s primarily distress sale of paddy.
The Food Supplies Department had decided to procure 1.80 lakh MT of paddy from farmers through 101 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) and 22 SHGs. The minimum support price (MSP) has been fixed at Rs 1,250 per quintal for average quality and ` 1,280 for Grade A quality. Farmers alleged that while none of the SHGs has yet come forward to purchase paddy, only 42 PACS have opened mandis.
Besides, the mandis that are functional now, lack heavily on basic things like weighing and testing machines and other facilities.
Under these circumstances, farmers are forced to sell off their produce to middlemen at much below the MSP.
District Krushaka Samaj president Pitambar Das alleged that farmers are forced to sell their fair average quality paddy at less than the MSP.
Sources said that while SHGs lack sufficient funds to purchase paddy, the PACS do not even have enough space to store procured paddy. Worse, the millers are also not ready to lift procured paddy as the State Government has not yet released their security money of the previous crop season.
Protesting the State Government’s apathy in solving the procurement issues, farmers blocked the Bhadrak-Chandabali road recently and also besieged the collectorate.