Nayagarh: Due to lack of adequate rain in Nayagarh district, paddy seedlings have decayed on several farmlands and the adverse farming conditions have made local farmers disgusted, a report said.
It is alleged that local farmers do not get adequate water from the different irrigation projects in the district. Most of the lift irrigation points in Nayagarh remain defunct.
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On the other hand, farmers await fertilisers to apply on farmlands where tilling has already been completed. At times, they have to purchase fertilisers for the purpose at a very high cost. As the government rate for urea fertiliser per bag is Rs 270, against this, the cost for same varies from Rs 430 to Rs 500 in open market.
“Wholesalers have been creating artificial scarcity of fertilisers by flouting government guidelines. Despite making repeated complaints, Nayagarh district agriculture department shows no interest in resolving the issues. Owing to poor publicity of paddy procurement programmes which are being carried out here, we are unable to register our names at mandis,” local farmers alleged.
Due to delay in opening web portal access July 24 this year and frequent problems in server, many farmers have not yet registered their names for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, they added.
Nayagarh farmers have demanded the date of registration for Bima Yojana to be extended till August 31.
Giving his views, a farmer of Barapali area Jalia Swain said, “We have been facing problems since the beginning of Kharif season this year. After drought-like situation, artificial scarcity of fertilsers has been double whammy for us.”
Notably, seeking solutions to the problems, some farmers in Nayagarh had written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and met the district Collector Poma Tudu as well a few days ago.
PNN
