BHAWANIPATNA: Rabi paddy procurement in Kalahandi district is set to commence from May 20.
This was decided at a district-level rabi paddy procurement committee meeting chaired by collector Sachin Pawar on Friday. The meeting discussed the various issues faced by farmers and millers, and focused ways to resolve them.
Stress was laid on securing full cooperation from all farmers and millers to ensure the procurement process is conducted smoothly across the district.
The committee noted a significant increase in farmers’ participation in the procurement process this year. Around 56,639 farmers have registered to sell their harvest this rabi season, as against 48,818 farmers last year. About 93 paddy procurement centres will be set up for the purpose out of which 26 will be managed by women self-help groups.
To facilitate efficient collection of paddy stock, 97 rice millers have been entrusted the charge of ensuring timely lifting and processing of the procured paddy.
Although the district is yet to set its rabi paddy procurement target, the committee expects it to touch around 40 lakh quintal this year considering the increased number of farmer registrations.
The committee decided to deploy squads and set up control rooms at district and sub-divisional levels to ensure smooth procurement and ensure minimum support price to farmers.
During the meeting, farmer leaders raised concern about farmers of Indravati Left Canal being deprived of registering themselves to participate in the procurement process.
Rice Millers’ Association member Nalini Patjoshi expressed concern over the lack of space in the rice mills stating that only 1.3 per cent of the rice stock of the last rabi season and two per cent of the stock from 2025-26 kharif season could be delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). “Unless FCI expedites process to lift the old stock, it will be difficult to store the new stock of the current rabi season,” he said.
Acknowledging that lack of space in the rice mills can indeed be a problem, the collector said that the district administration will hold discussion in this regard with the FCI and Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation to expedite lifting of rice. “Steps will also be taken to construct additional godowns to resolve the issue,” he said.
Among others, Dharamgarh sub-collector Prekhya Agarwal, Bhawanipatna sub-collector Prabhat Parida, officials of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare and Cooperation departments, and farmer and miller representatives participated in the meeting.