BALANGIR: Farmers in Balangir district are spending sleepless nights as untimely rains for the last three days have posed difficulties for paddy lifting from the mandis to mills. While some farmers have kept their harvested paddy on their threshing floors, others are frequenting the market yards to oversee the situation. Paddy procurement in the district began on December 15.
As per data, the district received total of 451 mm rainfall until Thursday. Sources said, thousands of paddy bags are lying in the mandis but arrangements for tarpaulin and polythene cover have been made to ensure that damage is minimal.
Apart from the unexpected downpour, the shortage of staff has also mired the procurement process. Currently, paddy sale is being carried out in 157 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across the district. In Balangir division, there are 71 PACS of which 23 have no secretary and the remaining have in-charge authorities. Reportedly, in many mandis, millers do not send vehicles to lift the purchased paddy.
As per allegations of farmers, the administration is yet to take action on the alleged irregularities through a team led by ADM Ananta Narayan Singh Languri had recently visited some mandis in Puintala block to probe the complaints.
Contacted, deputy registrar of co-operative societies (DRCS) Prabhakar Nayak admitted to procurement hassles due to shortage of permanent staff. “Authorities in charge are working even on holidays and we are trying to address all problems to the best of our ability,” he said.
Meanwhile, the woes of farmers who grew vegetables doubled as the crops suffered huge damage due to the rains. Maximum damage was reported from Uparjhar and Mahalei panchayats of Deogaon block. Sambhu, a farmer of Kuhimunda village of Uparjhar panchayat, said he had cultivated potato, brinjal and other vegetables on 20 acre land but the recent downpour and hailstorm damaged all the crops.
“I suffered a loss of more than Rs 3 lakh as the rains destroyed all my vegetable crops,” he said. Farmers in other blocks echoed similar sentiments and lamented the absence of insurance provision for growing vegetables. Commenting on the issue, Deogaon block agriculture officer Babaji Sethi said the department is assessing the damage to vegetable cultivation and a report will soon be submitted to higher authorities.