Khaira: With the usual time for sowing of paddy seeds delayed by more than a fortnight, farmers in Khaira block of Balasore district are worried about the inadequate supply of paddy seeds from the government, a report said.
Some farmers alleged that a few days ago, they had suffered losses due to paddy distress sale, now they have to face shortage of seeds, that too at the time of sowing.
Some private traders have started supplying seeds, but the cooperative societies in the area are not supplying seeds. The overall supply of seeds is not sufficient to meet the demand, the farmers lamented.
This time, 14 cooperative societies and five licensed agencies have been authorised to supply seeds to farmers. However, many societies have not lifted seeds from the seeds corporation. Eleven societies have lifted only 401 quintals of seeds. All seeds stocks have exhausted in the societies. The licensed agencies have sold 100 quintals of seeds.
While the demand for seeds is 2,000 quintals, only 508 quintals have been supplied. The Khaira Cooperative Society has no godown of its own, the reason it has not lifted paddy seeds from the corporation.
Assistant agriculture officer of Khaira, Basudev Satpathy, said societies have been asked to lift seeds.
Assistant registrar of Bhadrak, Sashibala Mohapatra, said there is no reason for lifting seeds at Manitiri and Osanga societies on the grounds that they have no secretaries. She assured that steps are being taken to ensure that societies lift paddy seeds for disbursal.
PNN