Bhadrak: No sooner harvesting of paddy in the district has begun than traders from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh have begun camping in some areas of Bhadrak and are found purchasing paddy from farmers. With dates of procurement yet to be finalised, farmers accused civil supplies officials and millers of delaying the procurement, a report said.
In the current year, the district is expected to exceed the paddy production target. It is alleged that authorized cooperative societies have delayed paddy procurement from farmers.
It was learnt that millers had not come to sign agreement with the district administration on a scheduled date. The district level paddy procurement committee has decided to procure paddy from farmers from December 1.
Again millers were unwilling to start procurement from December 1. The committee fixed December 10 as the date to start procurement.
Since no millers have signed agreements till date, procuring paddy from December 10 is also uncertain. As the date of procurement is extended, farmers are said to be impatient and start selling paddy to AP farmers at low price. Andhra traders have engaged middlemen to get paddy from farmers.
The government has fixed Rs 1750 per quintal of paddy, but AP traders buy it for Rs 1100 and 1200 per quintal citing high moisture in the paddy.
Poor famers do not wait for longer time to sell their paddy to the government when they are to meet their daily expenses and festival expenses.
Andhra traders are found camping in Agarpada, Bant, Aradi, Barpada and several other areas. Farmers alleged that due to lack of coordination between the civil supplies department and the administration, dates of paddy procurement are being extended from time to time. Farmers are deprived of getting right price for their produce.
Collector Gyanaranjan Das said a final decision will be taken to procure paddy from farmers toward the first week of December.
PNN
