BHAWANIPATNA: With Met office forecasting rain from first week of June, farmers of Kalahandi district apprehend heavy loss of their paddy crop which is lying in the open at various mandis.
According to sources, 50 per cent of paddy crop have been harvested and brought to mandis or procurement centres. Of the total 89 mandis opened so far, 45 do not have permanent shed or store house.
As a result, the hundreds of bags of paddy have been dumped in the open. Farmers fear that if their stock is not procured before arrival of rain, it will be damaged and would not fetch the minimum support price.
To add to the farmers’ woes, paddy procurement was delayed this year as it was started on May 25 instead of the scheduled May 10. Five squads of Civil Supply Department have been formed to look into the procurement process.
The sources said each regulated marketing committee (RMC) is entitled to a commission of two per cent of the cost of a quintal of paddy procured in both kharif and rabi seasons. Similarly, each Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) is entitled to 2.5 per cent commission.This money is collected for development of infrastructure and facilities for farmers at mandis. On an average, 45 lakh quintals of paddy is procured in the district every year.
On Sunday evening, Kalahandi Collector Anjan Kumar Manik held a procurement review meeting and asked RMCs and PACS to develop infrastructure in the mandis. He said all the RMCs and PACS have been directed to erect temporary sheds at the earliest so that paddy stocks are not damage by the rain.
Manik said rabi cultivation was taken up late in Kalahandi due to delay in release of water from Indravati project for irrigation. As paddy was harvested late, it led to delay in procurement, he reasoned.
“It has always been a challenge to procure paddy before pre-monsoon rain. From next year, steps will be taken for early release of water from Indravati,” the Collector said, adding that strict action would be taken against any person trying to disturb the procurement process or exploit farmers.
This year, the Kalahandi administration has set a target to procure 16 lakh quintals of rabi paddy and toll date, 9,204 quintals have been procured from 125 farmers through 27 mandis of PACS.
Crop target
Kalahandi administration has set a target to procure 16 lakh quintals of rabi paddy
As on today, 9,204 quintals have been procured from 125 farmers through 27 mandies of PACS
A total of 89 mandies have been opened. 45 of them do not have permanent sheds or store houses.
50 per cent of paddy crops in the district has been harvested and brought to mandies or paddy procurement centres for procurement.