Jaleswar: Distress sale of groundnuts in Jaleswar, Bhograi and Baliapal blocks of Balasore district has left farmers in a spot. Traders from neighbouring West Bengal are taking advantage of the situation.
Groundnut farmers have to sell their crop at throwaway prices to Bengal traders, a report said. According to the report, groundnut has been raised across 9000 hectares in the three coastal blocks.
It is said that farmers have harvested about 70 per cent of the crop. But the problem is that there are no takers for the cash crop in the locality.
Some farmers alleged that the state government was promoting cash crops to augment the income of the farmers, but there is no provision of procurement of the cash crop like paddy.
They said they have spent a lot of money on seeds purchase, land tilling and wages. The input cost for farming groundnut in an acre is Rs 20,000. They allege that they are entitled to input subsidies, but they are deprived of it in most cases.
“If the crop is sold immediately after the harvest, we are a little relieved. We have to clear the pending dues of labourers and credit in the input costs. But now the crop has no takers and we are bound to sell it to Bengal traders for peanuts,” they lamented.
Groundnut is grown in 3000 hectares in Jaleswar; 3500 hectares in Baliapal and 2500 hectares in Bhograi. As there has been no provision of the government-backed procurement for the groundnut, farmers are selling it for Rs 52 a kg to the Bengal traders.
“In the current year, the groundnut has been grown at Kotasahi, Rayanramchandrapur, Gobarghatta, Maohammednagarpatana, Paikasida, Jhadpipal, Baiganbadia and Laxmannath panchayats,” said Rajlaxmi Mohanty, assistant agriculture officer of Jaleswar.
PNN
