Bargarh: Even as farmers have started farming activities for the kharif season they are yet to sell their paddy harvested in the rabi season with paddy procurement hitting a roadblock in Bargarh district.
The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that lakhs of paddy packets are lying unsold in the farmlands and in various procurement centres in the district.
The paddy is rotting after being exposed to rain. Farmers could be seen making a lot of efforts to dry up the paddy. The farmers have been waiting with bated breath for their turn to sell paddy at the mandis.
Stray cattle are now feeding on the wet paddy lying on roads and farmyards. This has pushed the farmers into distress. Farmers have resorted to protests but with little success in drawing the attention of the authorities towards their problems.
Paddy procurement process started in Bargarh district since May 5. Over one and a half months have passed but the manner in which paddy procurement process is being carried out continues to put the farmers in trouble.
Initially, non-availability of labourers due to the lockdown delayed the paddy harvest in the district. Later, thunderstorms which occurred during the harvest season posed problems for farmers.
The paddy stocks lying in the farmlands and farmyards sprouted after getting exposed to rain. However, the main bottleneck was the restriction on validity of tokens.
The government reduced the validity of tokens issued to farmers from 30 days to 12 days which posed serious problems for farmers in selling their paddy.
Farmer leader Ramesh Mohapatra alleged that both the state government and the Centre do not want to procure the paddy from farmers.
Moreover, after the three farm laws came into force the paddy procurement process is being deliberately made difficult.
“Over 10 lakh sacks of paddy of 7 to 10 thousand farmers are lying unsold under the open sky and becoming fodder for the stray cattle,” another farmer leader Ekadasia Sahu said.
Calls made to chief district supply officer Rajanikant Dash on his mobile phone went unanswered.
PNN
