RAYAGADA: Delay in setting up of paddy procurement centres coupled with the recent unseasonal rain has become a cause of concern for the farming community in the district. The district administration had declared to start rabi paddy procurement from May 1 with a target to purchase 26,800 quintal. Accordingly, the civil supply department had decided to open 13 procurement centres in 11 blocks. The delay in opening paddy procurement centres has been attributed to cyclone Fani.
Sources said internet service was disrupted and department’s online server was down for several days in Bhubaneswar due to the cyclone. Online registration of farmers and other related works could not be carried out in the first week of May, thus delaying paddy procurement process.
At a paddy procurement committee meeting on April 26, the district administration had asked the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) to open mandis from May 1 with adequate facilities. While the MSP for common quality paddy is `1,750, Grade-A paddy will be procured at `1,770 per quintal.
Last year, the paddy procurement target for rabi season was fixed at 50,000 quintal but 45,000 quintal was purchased.
Meanwhile, farmers have dumped around 780 quintal of paddy at Rayagada Regulated Marketing Committee (RMC) yard for procurement.RMC secretary Bhabani Sankar Dash said, “Adequate measures have been taken to protect paddy bags of farmers from unseasonal rain. Similarly, security guard has been deployed at the yard to check any mischievous activities.”
Meanwhile, a group of farmers recently met Collector Pramod Kumar Behera seeking his intervention. He assured them that the procurement will commence within a couple of days as internet service has already been restored. The target for the millers will also be fixed, he said.