CUTTACK: Farmers of Cuttack district are a worried lot as the state government is yet to provide them with subsidised high-yield paddy seeds for kharif cultivation. Apart, they are also likely to face a short supply as the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) has thus far, not been able to procure the targeted quantity of seeds for distribution.
Sources said if the delay in seeds supply persists, farmers will be left with no other option than to sow the uncertified traditional variety seeds on their land. This had been the practice earlier when farmers preserved seeds and sowed them the following year. However, after supply of hybrid and high-yielding seed varieties, they have been completely dependent on it.
“Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious occasion which signals the beginning of kharif paddy cultivation. Since the state government is delaying supply of subsidised high-yield paddy seeds, we were compelled to start cultivation by sowing the traditional seed varieties,” farmers of Sukarpada gram panchayat under Nischintakoili block said.
Meanwhile, since OSSC has so far been able to procure only around 5,600 quintal paddy seeds against the target of 7,500 quintal, this has posed another problem for farmers as they may be faced with a short supply. OSSC officials said the corporation has not been able to procure the requisite quantity yet as majority of farmers who had availed foundation seeds preferred to sell their paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal in the mandis instead of selling them to OSSC at Rs 2,921 per quintal.
Admitting to the non-fulfilment of paddy seeds procurement target, OSSC zonal manager Naba Kishore Sethi said the corporation has begun supplying 10 varieties of seeds including Puja, Sarala, CR-1018, Kala Champa, Swarna, MTU-1001, MTU-1318 and CR-1009. “Of the 190 primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and 16 registered dealers, 30 PACS and three dealers have so far lifted paddy seeds for selling them to farmers at subsidised rate,” he added.
He said a bag containing 20 kg paddy seeds will be sold at Rs 825 and the subsidy amount of Rs 165 will be transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers. “A farmer will be able to get maximum 15 bags of paddy seeds for cultivation on 3 ha land,” Sethi informed.
As per sources, kharif paddy is usually cultivated on 1.36 lakh hectare land in the district.