JEYPORE: Paddy procurement was started in the district on Tuesday. The district administration formally kicked off the process at Kamara village under Borrigumma block.
There was no procurement in Kamara mandi, though, as all the paddy stock that was brought by farmers were rejected in quality test.
Jeypore Sub-Collector, who is also the president of the Regulated Market Committee president, Madhusmita Sahu said the procurement process would be geared up in the next couple of days and all paddy stocks of the farmers would be purchased. The administration has decided to open 41 mandis for kharif paddy procurement with an aim of buying six lakh quintals in the first phase.
Tokens were distributed among farmers at Umuri and Kundra following which, their dues will be cleared.
Apparently, procurement was delayed by almost a month with farmers demanding clearance of rabi procurement dues. Umuri and Kundra LAMPS were yet to pay about `10 crore dues to 922 farmers who had sold about 72,000 quintal paddy in the last rabi season. Officials said the dues will be cleared within the next two to three days.
On the other hand, no decision has yet been taken on farmers’ demand that the ceiling limit of 3,500 quintals per mandi should be enhanced to 5,000 quintals so that more farmers can sell their produce and the mandis should be opened thrice a week.
Earlier, the administration had decided to only procure 70 quintals of paddy from one farmer in a day and a total of 3,500 quintals from one mandi. Under the new arrangement, a farmer will have to bear additional transportation charges to shift the paddy to mandis.