BHAWANIPATNA: Unseasonal rains on Friday have left farmers of Kalahandi district worried with their harvested paddy stocks lying in the open in mandis.
At Bhawanipatna, Tipiguda, Tambachada, Dasigaon, Badkutru, Dulkibundh, Kotagaon and Ichapur mandis, paddy is yet to be lifted by millers and some farmers have managed to cover their stocks with polythene sheets.
After quality checking of paddy, the stock is procured and then lifted by millers. Farmers alleged that although they had received tokens to sell paddy fortnight back, millers are yet to lift paddy.
They said untimely rain will lead to issues like discoloured and broken grains that will not qualify for minimum support price. Also, rains will result in high moisture content in the harvested crops.
The district administration had decided to procure 37.5 lakh quintal paddy in three phases and so far, 27.6 lakh quintal has been lifted.
Procurement has also been delayed due to absence of vehicles to lift paddy from mandis. There was no procurement on Friday due to rains.
Similarly in Kendrapara, rains for the last two days have hit paddy and vegetable farmers hard. Rains accompanied by wind on Thursday and Friday have damaged harvested paddy crops in Mahakalapada, Rajnagar, Marsaghai and Garadapur blocks. Besides, potato and onion crops and betel vines have been damaged.
“I had recently harvested the paddy crops on one acre of land for threshing. But before the grains could be separated, the stock was damaged by rains”, said Alok Das, a farmer of Bhagabanpur village, who had taken loan for growing the crop in kharif season.
In areas where crops are yet to be harvested, rainwater has inundated crops.
Chief District Agriculture Officer Mohan Prasad Sharma said all block agriculture officials have been asked to submit reports on crop damage for facilitating payment of compensation to farmers.