Bargarh: After the “non-issuance” of a token to sell his paddy, a farmer from Ramkhol village under Ambabhona block in Odisha’s Bargarh district said he was forced to sell his produce at Rs 1,600 per quintal — nearly half the government-fixed minimum support price of Rs 3,100 — to meet urgent medical expenses.
The farmer, Jhadeswar Patra, has been undergoing treatment at Burla Medical College and Hospital since April 15.
According to Patra, during the Kharif season last year, he cultivated paddy on one hectare of his ancestral land and two acres of his father-in-law’s land with his wife, Tapaswini Patra. His family registered for paddy procurement August 25, hoping to receive a token by March-end to sell at the official rate of Rs 3,100. However, he has “not yet received the token”.
In an unrelated incident last month, a middle-aged farmer from Junagadi village under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara district reportedly died of cardiac arrest after facing “prolonged harassment” during the sale of his paddy. The issue was also raised in the Odisha Assembly, where Speaker Surama Padhy asked the state government to inform the House about the details of the farmer’s death.
