Bhadrak: As elections are nearing both the state and central governments are focussing on farmers. Schemes are being launched amidst the debate on the waiver of farm loans and other benefits for the farming community.
But farmers here have been complaining about inaction on issues like distress sales, lack of irrigation facilities, storage of crops and the shortcomings in paddy procurement in many pockets of Bhadrak.
The farmers are sore that the government has not set up a cold storage in the district. A private cold storage operates in Bhandaripokhari.
There were efforts at the government level to set up a cold storage near Bhadrak RMC three years ago. The foundation stone for it was laid on the premises of the RMC.
Three years have passed, but not a single brick has been laid there. The much awaited project remains a non-starter, farmers said.
“Vegetables and other crops are produced in the district. Cold storage is a basic necessity here. Its absence has worsened the plight of farmers as they are unable to store produce till the right time for sales,” they added.
During the vegetable harvesting season farmers are forced to go for distress sale of tomatoes, cabbage, chilli and other crops. Huge quantities of unsold vegetables get wasted as they cannot be stored in cold storages.
Farmers said the government is not doing anything regarding this. They accused the district administration, the agriculture department and the RMC authorities of remaining silent on the issue. Many farmers said they have lost all hopes on the cold storage project.
Former agriculture minister Damodar Rout had laid the foundation stone of the project on RMC premises February 25, 2016. But the administration did not speed up the project.
This year too many farmers were forced to resort to distress sale. Some farmers of Tihidi area – Kailash Behera, Gurubari Muduli and Sambhari Sahu – said the absence of a cold storage has affected their incomes.
“This year we were forced to sell cabbages for Rs 5 a piece and a kg of tomatoes for Rs 7. Traders buy at throwaway prices from us and sell at high prices in the market,” the farmers said.
Tihidi has 22,600 hectares of farms. Vegetables are grown on about 1,000 hectares.
Farmers said the private cold storage at Bhandaripokhari is not able to meet the needs of farmers and the increasing production of vegetables and other crops.
Collector Gyanaranjan Das said the government will invite tenders for the cold storage project soon.
PNN