BERHAMPUR: The district administration of Ganjam will start paddy procurement for the ongoing kharif season from December 23.
This was announced by collector Dibya Jyoti Parida at a district-level meeting attended by both the MPs, local MLAs and officials.
In view of the hiccups in paddy procurement process in the previous years, the district administration has chalked out plans to prevent distress sale by farmers this time.
With 1,46,504 farmers registering for the process this year, target has been set to procure 4,48,176 quintals of paddy.
Last year, 4,44,856.56 MT paddy was procured from farmers in the district. The procurement will be done through 481 mandis, 362 PACS, 118 women SHGs and one pani panchayat.
District chief civil supplies officer Puspa Munda said 16 women SHGs, against whom allegations of mismanagement were levelled last year, have been excluded from the procurement process this time. She said the MSP of paddy has been set at Rs 3,100 per quintal.
A toll-free number would be issued soon for the farmers to obtain information on their tokens, place of sale and other relevant details.
Secretary of Rushikulya Rayat Mahabha Simanchal Nahak said paddy has not yet been harvested at several places of the district due to delay in arrival of monsoon and unavailability of water for irrigation.
As per irrigation office sources, usually the district receives rainfall of 187.9 mm in the month of October, but it has received only 45.49 mm rain in the last 48 days.