BHUBANESWAR: Seed growing farmers of the State are staring at huge loss as the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) has refused to accept more than 20 quintal paddy per hectare (ha) against the average yield rate of 30 quintal.“The average yield of certified paddy seeds per ha in irrigated areas is about 50 quintals. The OSSC is accepting only 20 quintal per ha from us. What we will do with the balance seeds,” wondered Balasore farmer Basanta Barik.
More than 5,000 farmers of the State have registered with the corporation for supply of seeds both cereals and pulses. The OSSC is agreement-bound to accept the total production. The farmers will not get the price fixed by the Government for seeds if they sell the same in open market.
As per the agreement with the registered farmers, the corporation had decided to accept 30 quintal of paddy seed per ha. However, the officers looking after seed production at the district level are refusing to accept more than 20 quintal per ha per farmer. Similar is the situation in Ganjam and Bargarh districts where seed production is more.
“Although we have registered our protest, the district authorities are unmoved. The seed production officer of the district said he is acting as per the instruction of the OSSC Managing Director. We do not know whom to approach in this lockdown period,” said Ganesh Nayak, a registered seed grower of Sanakhemundi block of Ganjam district.
Reduction of 10 quintal of certified seeds per ha is a loss for farmers as the cost per quintal is Rs 2,305 against the normal paddy cost of Rs 1,815 under price support system.Barik further said the corporation has also reduced the cost of biri (black gram) from Rs 7,200 to Rs 6,800 per quintal and moong from Rs 9,000 to Rs 8,400 per quintal. While fixing the minimum support price of cereals, pulses and oil seeds, the Centre has asked the states to provide 27 per cent more than the MSP for paddy seeds and 30 per cent more for pulses.
While the State Government has increased the cost of paddy seeds to Rs 2,305 from Rs 2,187 per quintal, it has reduced the cost of moong and biri, Barik said.
“Despite our protest, the corporation has enhanced the seed processing charges from Rs 15 to Rs 25 per quintal and imposed an additional cost of Rs 2 per labourer. This is not acceptable when farmers are under distress due to lockdown,” they said.