KENDRAPARA: Taking advantage of the slow procurement process in the district, millers and agents are reportedly purchasing paddy from farmers directly by paying less than the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government.
Farmers alleged that harvesting grounds and threshing floors are packed with paddy as the authorities are yet to procure their produce.
“Paddy procurement was supposed to start in Kendrapara from December 31. But so far, there has been no information about commencement of the paddy purchase exercise,” claimed 50-year-old Narahari Rout, a farmer of Iswarapur.
Last week, Rout harvested around 10 quintal paddy. “Many millers and their agents are scouting rural areas to purchase paddy from farmers. I have planned to sell five quintal of my harvested paddy,” the farmer said.
Similarly, Ranjan Haldar of Badatubi village said after harvesting, farmers are desperate to sell their paddy crop. “Last week, I sold three quintal of my harvested paddy at `4,500. I know that the government has fixed `1,940 as the price for a quintal of fair average quality (FAQ) paddy. But since the procurement process is slow, I sold a part of my crop to a rice trader who visited our village.”
Haldar further informed that the long distance from villages to primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) is also one of the reasons behind farmers selling their paddy to traders at lower prices. “It is not possible for many farmers to reach the PACS at Ramanagar, located 10 km from Badatubi village, by crossing a river to sell their paddy.”
Contacted, Civil Supplies Officer (CSO) of Kendrapara Prasant Kumar Gantayat claimed that the procurement exercise is underway in full swing. However, he admitted that paddy crop harvested by a large number of farmers is of low quality due to the untimely rain which lashed the district in December.
“The unseasonal rains lowered the quality of grain and increased moisture content in standing paddy plants. Some millers are not interested in purchasing low quality paddy due to which we are facing problems,” Gantayat said.
The Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation has decided to procure eight lakh quintal paddy in the first phase in the district. The administration has engaged 118 PACS to procure paddy from farmers. So far, 41,568 farmers have registered their names to sell paddy. “We are determined to check distress sale of paddy by farmers,” the CSO added.