MALKANGIRI: The bumper paddy harvest this year has increased the problems of farmers of Malkangiri more than helping them get good price. With the government issuing tokens to lift much less quantity than what they have reaped, these farmers have no option but to sell their paddy at throwaway prices to traders from Andhra Pradesh.
Paddy is being traded off at Rs 1,300-Rs 1,400 per quintal against the minimum support price of Rs 2,040 per quintal fixed by the government. Buti Podiami, a farmer of Marsaguda village in Goudaguda panchayat of Malkangiri block said he harvested 250 quintal paddy from his 16 acre land.
However, since he was issued token for procurement of 70 quintal only, he had to sell the remaining stock to traders from Andhra Pradesh for lesser pricel. Buti said survey of his produce was done in the presence of the tehsildar but he was still issued token for procurement of only 70 quintal paddy. Several farmers in the district have not been issued tokens, sources said.
District civil supplies officer Ajay Kumar Rath said till Wednesday, 4.70 lakh quintal paddy has been procured from 14,505 farmers who had registered for the procurement process against the target of 11.2 lakh quintal set for the district in the first phase.
“We have received additional procurement target of 1.22 lakh quintal paddy but it has not yet been distributed among the mandis. The names of many farmers were deleted during phase three of the verification process and satellite survey due to which errors were recorded during registration,” he said.
The farmers have urged the government to increase paddy procurement target given to Malkangiri in view of bumper harvest.