KENDRAPARA: With delay in procurement of paddy by the government, farmers of the coastal district of Kendrapara have resorted to distress sale of their harvest to rice millers at lower prices. The paddy procurement process in the district is slated to begin from December 28.
Sources said, with paddy bundles piled up in harvesting grounds and threshing fields, farmers are unwilling to wait till December 28 for the government to buy their harvest and hence selling them away to the millers and agents at lower prices.
“We do not have the patience to wait for nearly a month to sell our crops to the government. Moreover, the primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) are far from our villages so we prefer selling them at lower prices here,” said a farmer of Suniti village Pravat Rout.
Another farmer of Batighar village Atish Das said the nearest PACS centre is about 10 km away from his village and can be reached by crossing a river.
“I sold three quintal paddy at a total cost of `5,000. The government has fixed `2,040 as the price per quintal of fair average quality paddy but some businessmen come to our villages and buy them from us here so we agree to sell them at lower prices,” he added.
“It is impossible for us to carry or transport our paddy to the procurement centres by crossing rivers and creeks so we sell them to the businessmen who come here,” a farmer of Batatubi village said.
Speaking on the issue, vice-president of district-unit of Krusak Sabha Madhaba Das informed, farmers are having to bear huge losses owing to the distress sale of their paddy.
Kendrapara district civil supplies officer Prasant Kumar Gantayak said Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation will begin the paddy procurement process from December 28. “We urge the farmers not to sell their harvests to others and wait till the said date,” he added.