BALASORE: Delay in paddy procurement in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts is giving farmers sleepless nights. Left with unsold paddy, they are forced to get rid of their harvest in distress sale as middlemen from neighbouring states make the most of the situation.
Traders and middlemen of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are exploiting the situation as they buy paddy from small and marginal farmers at throwaway prices. While the government has fixed MSP at Rs 1,940 per quintal, middlemen buy it at a price between Rs 1100 and Rs 1150, resulting in a loss of around Rs 790 to Rs 840 for farmers.
Although kharif paddy procurement in the State started from November 1 and will continue till March 30, Mayurbhanj district administration will start the same from January 3, 2022 through designated centres, said Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies (DRCS) Damayanti Singh.
Sources said, few centres were opened in Nilagiri block of Balasore but no procurement took place as secretaries of different LAMPS and procurement centres are on strike in Bhubaneswar.
Farmers blame district administration which is entrusted with the smooth running of the process. “Pest attack and delay in opening of mandis has forced us to resort to distress sale. We have to pay labour charges as well as clear agriculture loans so we can’t wait till the government decides to open procuring centres at its convenience,” said farmers of Soro and Khaira block in Balasore.
Balasore district administration has targeted to procure at least 17 lakh quintal paddy from the registered farmers of 12 blocks and as many as 90,000 tokens have been given to the farmers, said Balasore Civil Supply Officer (CSO) Pradyumna Routray.
Mayurbhanj CSO Rajkishore Panigrahi said that they target to procure around 10.80 lakh quintal paddy from registered farmers. At least 21 lakh quintal of paddy was procured last year at a price of Rs 1,868 per quintal.