BERHAMPUR: The district administration started paddy procurement from November 15 but mandis in Ganjam are deserted. The reason: Farmers and crop are not ready.
In view of the hiccups in paddy procurement process in previous years, the district administration had decided to open the mandis early and chalked out plans to prevent distress sale by farmers. But the move seems to have fallen flat with not a single farmer turning up at the mandis even a week after commencement of the procurement process.
Farmers blamed delayed monsoon and lack of preparedness of the administration for the mess. Ganjam Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha said 80 per cent of kharif paddy crop in the district is not yet ready to be harvested. As the monsoon arrived late, the harvest would be delayed this year, he said.
This apart, procurement was started without tagging millers with market yards and issuing tokens to farmers. Under the new system introduced this year, centralised tokens were supposed to be issued 15 days in advance of the procurement and sent to the registered mobile numbers of farmers by SMS. The district officials have misguided the State Government on the procurement plan, alleged Simanchal Nahak of the Mahasabha.
The new token system has created confusion too. Though it is believed that the token is being generated from Bhubaneswar and there is no role of the district administration in the process, there is no clarity on how SMSs are being sent to farmers since harvest of paddy is carried out at different times in different regions in the State.
Members of Chasi Surakshya Sangram Manch and Baldev Krushak Sangh apprehend that when the paddy crops in Ganjam are ready for harvesting, the mandis will be closed by then forcing farmers to go for distress sale. Earlier, procurement of paddy lasted up to March 31 or last week of April. But this year, the Government has decided to close the mandis early.
Last year, of the 1.28 lakh farmers who registered under paddy procurement automation system, the district administration was able to purchase paddy from only 73,000. The remaining 50,000 farmers were forced for distress sale.
Sources said, SMSs are being basing on the date on which tokens were issued to farmers in the last kharif season without assessing the ground realities. Contacted, the district agriculture officials said they are abiding by the Government directive.