KENDRAPARA/JEYPORE: Farmers have resorted to distress sale due to the alleged delay in procurement of paddy in some districts.
Farmers of Kendrapara expressed resentment alleging that the millers and agents are purchasing paddy at rates below the government-fixed prices, causing significant financial setbacks to them. Mahendra Das, a farmer from Kandarapatia village, said the challenges of reaching the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) at Ramanagar, are enormous.
“It is very difficult to transport the produce to the mandi 10 kilometer from my village Jamboo by crossing a river. Last week, I sold three quintal of paddy at the cost of Rs 4,500 whereas the government has fixed Rs 2,203 as the price of a quintal of FAQ (Fair Average Quality ) paddy,” he said.
Similarly Bidyadhar Behera of Batighar village spoke on the problems they face urging authorities to expedite the procurement process.
Allegations are rife that rice businessmen from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are taking advantage of the delay, further complicating the situation.
The lack of connectivity via bridges forces farmers in riverside villages, including Kajalapatia and Badatubi, to rely on risky country boats to carry their produce to the mandis.
The Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSP) had initially planned to procure 9.90 lakh metric tonne of paddy from Kendrapara farmers starting January 5. The district civil supplies officer, Kendrapara, Srinibas Sahoo, reassured, “The farmers need not worry about the matter as the authorities are determined to check distress sale of paddy.”
In Koraput too, contrary to the anticipated rush in Kharif paddy procurement in mandis across the district, there are a limited farmers coming forward to sell their stocks. Despite around 35,000 farmers registering for the sale of their kharif paddy, the inflow of farmers at the 104 mandis which started operating in the first week of January, has not been up to the mark.
As of now, procurement agencies, including LAMPS, SHGs, and Panipanchayats, have managed to procure about 17 lakh quintal of paddy in the district against a target of 23 lakh quintal. However, nearly 70 percent of mandis report limited transactions, with significant activity observed only in a few mandis such as Jeypore, Kundra, and Kotpad.
The slow pace of procurement raises doubts about achieving this target, as farmers in rural areas prefer selling their paddy directly to traders at a rate of around Rs 2,000 per quintal from their homes, avoiding the hassles of mandis.
Koraput district civil supplies officer PK Panda conceded that there is no significant rush of farmers in mandis compared to the previous year.
“Despite this, the mandis will continue to be operational until the procurement target is fulfilled,” he said.