Bhubaneswar: There appears to be an imminent rice crisis in the state, as discussions between the All Odisha Rice Millers’ Association and the state government ended inconclusively.
Consequently, the millers have decided to continue their strike.
The association announced that rice mill operations across the state will remain shut as they have not received any written assurance from the government regarding their demands.
After the meeting with the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department failed to yield any results, the association remained firm on its stance.
Their primary demands are: Payment of maintenance charges for 2023-24 and 2024-25 Kharif seasons, additional incentives for custom milling, revision of transportation costs for distances exceeding 40 km, and re-introduction of 1 per cent ‘dryage’ allowance for raw rice.
Furthermore, the millers warned that paddy procurement will remain suspended in all districts until a formal government notification is issued.
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They had previously commenced work based on verbal assurances in November and December, but despite five weeks passing, no official order has been released.
On the other hand, the FS&CW department stated that it is aware of the millers’ demands and has requested more time for a resolution.
The department mentioned that it is making efforts to ensure that the paddy procurement process is not affected.
This decision by the millers has sparked uncertainty among farmers, particularly in Western Odisha districts, who are waiting to sell their paddy.
Meanwhile, a recent review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, it was revealed that more than 19.67 lakh farmers have registered for the ongoing 2025–26 paddy procurement season in the state.
Official sources said 2,71,318 farmers have sold 12.05 lakh tonne paddy as of January 3. For the Kharif 2025–26 season, a total paddy cultivation area of 61,67,414 acres has been registered.
In the previous 2024–25 season, the state procured 73.45 lakh tonnes of Kharif paddy and 19.18 lakh tonnes of Rabi paddy.
Reviewing the functioning of the FS&CW department, the Chief Secretary directed officials to ensure the timely lifting of paddy from mandis, provide all necessary facilities, and ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience and receive their payments smoothly.
As of January 3, paddy procurement has commenced in 18 districts, with around 11.84 lakh tonne already procured, the meeting said.
To make the procurement process more farmer-friendly and transparent, the department has adopted several technological solutions, including the use of satellite imagery.
Garg also reviewed systems related to farmer–society linkage, the token system, quality checking, lifting of paddy by millers, direct transfer of payments to farmers’ bank accounts within 48 hours, collection of rice from millers, and overall system management.
Issues such as CCTV surveillance at mandis, mobile applications for mandi nodal officers, online vehicle tracking, and quick resolution mechanisms in case of delays were also discussed. Officials informed that a 24-hour call centre is operational, supported by emergency response and feedback mechanisms.
