Gosani: Even as farmers of Gajapati, the worst-hit district due to Phethai and Titli, braved the natural disasters and saved whatever paddy they could, negligence by the administration has left them in the mercy of Andhra Pradesh traders.
Due to various irregularities, the farmers are forced to sell their produce to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in cheaper rates. Irregular opening of mandis, bargain attitude by millers, transportation cost to shift paddy from their village to the mandis and other problems have forced the farmers to lift their harvest in the hands of the AP who have begun camping in the villages.
The angry villagers, who are already reeling under severe crop loss and loan burden accused civil supplies officials and millers of irregularities in the procurement. Trucks of paddy are being transported to Andhra Pradesh by the traders taking advantage of the plight of the farmers.
With inclement weather and the prospects of heavy rainfall, the traders are now out in numbers to take advantage of the current situation.
“We have no option but to dispose of our paddy at the farmland as procurement centres show unnecessary rules and regulations. The millers do not give proper rate. Moreover, it costs us more to transport the paddy from our fields to the procurement centres. Even if we take, the millers do not open regularly, we are made to keep waiting. So, we hand over to AP traders as they collect from us directly from the fields,” farmers—A Ramu, Y Manatha, Rabi Pradhan and others of Bagasala village under this block said.
Same is the fate of neighbour Agrakhandi and Katalkaitha villages. The government has fixed Rs 1,750 per quintal of paddy, but AP traders buy it for Rs 1100 and 1200 per quintal citing high moisture in the paddy.
Poor famers do not wait for longer time to sell their when they are to meet their daily expenses and festival expenses. Andhra traders are found camping in the villages. Farmers alleged that due to lack of coordination between the civil supplies department and the administration, dates of paddy procurement are being extended from time to time. Farmers are deprived of getting right price for their produce.
Even as such illegal paddy purchase is going on in the district, the administration has not taken any action to stop it or initiated steps to open the procurement centres.
Conscious farmers and social activists observed that famers can be saved from exploitation of the paddy mafia of Andhra if the latter can be reined in with regular monitoring and checks.
PNN
