Khandapara: Unseasonal rains have added to the woes of farmers in Khandapara block of Nayagarh district as thousands of quintals of paddy lying in a mandi for procurement have been drenched.
Farmers are under stress that the soaked paddy would not be taken by the millers. The farmers alleged that as there is no such arrangement made to replace the paddy from the mandi. Worried lot farmers feared of heavy losses as the thousands of sacks of paddy lying in the mandi would not go for sale.
As per reports, the State government has opened a mandi in Khandapara area for farmers of different location near Sikharpur locality to store their produce. Farmers after harvesting paddy have stocked them at mandis and threshing yards for procurement.
However, As the millers were nowhere to be seen on time, quintals of paddy are now lying unsold in mandi. Due to delay in the procurement process, thousands of quintals of paddy have been stored in the mandi now. Meanwhile, the paddy was drenched in the heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty surface wind that hit the State Tuesday.
Farmers were seen trying to protect their produce with polythene sheets. However, they further alleged that the polythene sheets provided to them were of low quality and rain water could pierce through them.
They expressed resentment and demanded the government to take immediate steps to help them sell the remaining paddy.
PNN
