SAMBALPUR: Despite more than a month passing since the initiation of kharif paddy procurement in the district on November 22, a sluggish pace continues to trouble the farmers. Their harvested paddy remains unsold at the market yards, causing frustration and concern among the community.
This season, a total of 59,315 farmers have registered to sell their produce, surpassing the previous year’s figure of 54,540 registered farmers. Last year, by the end of the season, a total of 30,66,799 quintal of paddy were procured. However, the current slow pace of procurement is posing challenges for farmers who are eager to sell their produce and facing delays in the process. Compared to last season, around 15.88 quintals of paddy had been procured from 27, 529 farmers this season.
Like every year, this year also, irregularities in tokens and deductions in the name of quality are two main reasons behind the slow pace of procurement. However, while the situation is still manageable in other parts of the district, the Kuchinda sub-division is witnessing a bad situation with around 13,250 bags of paddy lying unlifted in the Kenadhipa market yard of the sub-division.
Convenor of Odisha Krushak Surakhya Samanwaya Samiti and farmer leader, Ashok Pradhan said, “Kenadhipa is only one of the examples. Considering the scenario here, one can clearly assume how many more such paddy bags must be lying unsold in other market yards. The situation has become very grave.”
Though deputy registrar of cooperative societies (DRCS), Lingaraj Nayak could not be reached over the issue, official sources informed that, in Kenadhipa market yard, the procurement is carried out only once or twice a week. On the rest days, the farmers come and dump their paddy bags in advance so that it can be sold faster on the days of procurement.
On the other hand, though the farmers have stored the paddy bags under open sky, they are worried about crop damage. Earlier this month, due to the unseasonal rainfall, many farmers suffered crop loss as well as damage of harvested paddy.
Many farmers have alleged that citing damage due to rainfall, many rice millers are exploiting them by deducting 4-5 kgs per bag of paddy on the pretext of quality. Besides, token of many farmers who were supposed to sell their paddy at that time also expired as they could not bring their paddy due to the rain.
