Delay in paddy purchase leads to distress sale
BERHAMPUR: Delay in paddy procurement is forcing farmers of Ganjam district to sell their produce at throwaway prices to traders from Andhra Pradesh. While paddy cultivated at Jagannathprasad, Polasara, Kodala, Khallikote and Seragada blocks have already been harvested, mandis for procuring the produce are slated to open from December 12. Secretary of Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha Simanchal Nahak said taking advantage of the delay in procurement and absence of storage facilities, traders from the neighbouring state are buying paddy from the farmers through local brokers at prices much lower than that fixed by the government.
While the government has fixed the minimum support price of paddy at Rs 2,040 per quintal, the brokers are buying it for Rs 1,400 per quintal. Nahak said Seragada block, which comes under Hinjili Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the worst affected. If the distress sale of paddy continues, the district’s farmers would not be able to earn much despite a bumper yield this year. It is unlikely that the mandis will start functioning from December 12 as the process takes time, he added.
As per norms, 18 quintal of paddy is procured per acre of irrigated land and 12 quintal from an acre of non-irrigated land. But in the affected blocks, the procurement stands at 25 to 28 quintal per acre. “The RRM had urged the district administration to make arrangements to prevent distress sale of paddy but in vain,” Nahak said, adding if the administration does not initiate steps to stop the phenomenon, the mahasabha would resort to agitation.
In a bid to identify genuine sellers, the district administration had undertaken a satellite survey to identify land under cultivation. Nahak said the procurement process was delayed as the survey is still going on.
Despite repeated attempts, Civil Supplies and Agriculture department officials could not be contacted for their comments on the matter.