Bargarh: Kharif paddy procurement opened in Bargarh district Friday, but not a single bag has been purchased so far, triggering concern among farmers. Mandis under the Attabira, Bargarh and Padampur regulated market committees (RMCs) opened on schedule, and nearly 77,000 farmers have received procurement tokens as of Thursday night.
Farmers have brought their paddy to the mandis, but procurement has not started. Farmers say the delay stems from the absence of agreements between millers and the Supplies Department. The online procurement portal is also yet to be activated, raising doubts over the system’s readiness. Farmers warn that if procurement does not normalise by Sunday, they will take to the streets from Monday.
This year’s procurement began much later than in previous years. Tokens were issued only Thursday night, and many farmers say their allotted sale dates fall after December 10. Despite the delay, thousands of bags have already been deposited at mandis across the district, including 40,000 bags at Godbhaga, 30,000 at Attabira and 20,000 at Kalapani.
Farmers say the delay has left them unable to pay labourers involved in harvesting. Some have reportedly sold paddy to private traders at Rs 1,500–1,600 per quintal to meet urgent expenses. Farmer leaders say the procurement process has failed from the outset.
