‘Many in Purnia forced to sell paddy much below MSP’

PURNIA: The state government had announced paddy procurement on November 1 through PACS (primary agriculture cooperative societies) at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs1940-Rs1960 per quintal, but the farmers are forced to sell their produce at a throwaway price in several blocks of the district.
“Before the Chhath holiday, two PACS centres were opened under Banmankhi and Dhamdaha subdivisions of the district for the procurement of paddy at the MSP fixed by the state government.But, it remained a formality as procurement has not started at the two centres yet,” said Nyaz Ahmad, the coordinator of Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti as well as Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, Purnia unit.
“The delay has forced the farmers in the district to sell their produce at Rs1,100-1,200 per quintal to the middlemen and arhatiyas as small and marginal farmers don’t have storage facilities. Traders and middlemen are making money by selling the same produce (obtained from farmers) to PACS at MSP. We urge the state government to check hoarding and ask the PACS to procure paddy,” Nyaz added.
Shaukat, a farmer from Jhunni Estambrar village under K-Nagar block of the district, said the PACS will start obtaining paddy from mandis when the distress sale by farmers is over. “I had paddy in seven acres of land, out of which crops in three acres were destroyed due to heavy rainfall in the district in October. The BB11 variety, in the remaining portion of the land, has been processed and will be sold at the market price,” he said.
Yamuna Murmu from Pathraha panchayat under B-Kothi block said, “The announcement was made on November 1, but the procurement through PACS has not started yet. We will be happy if the process starts in our panchayat.”
Varun Kumar Mehta, a farmer from Jhunni Kala panchayat under Srinagar block of the district, said, “The paddy procurement at the MSP is just on paper. We are selling our produce at Rs1100-1200 per quintal. Zamini hakikat kuch aur hai (the ground reality is something different).”
When asked about the delay in paddy procurement by the PACS, president of all the 252 PACS in Purnia district, Amin Akhter, said, “It has begun at Touli under Dagrua block, Jhowwari (Amour), Jagni (K-Nagar), Rupaspur Khagha under Dhamdaha subdivision as well as under Harda block. Though, the process was to start on November 1, it didn’t happen due to high moisture content in the paddy due to heavy rainfall in October. From November 20, the procurement process will be fast-tracked at all the PACS.”
Akhter said the MSP for grade A paddy is Rs1960 per quintal whereas it is Rs1940 per quintal for grade B produce.