Bhograi: Farmers at coastal pockets in Balasore were unhappy over possible hike in prices of paddy seeds with authorities concerned hinting a possibility of price hike for the Kharif.
After cyclonic storm Fani dealt a blow to farming community at Bhograi area in Balasore, farmers have been demanding supply of high yielding seeds to them at subsidised rate.
The paddy and non-paddy crops, which were to be harvested in Rabi season, were damaged completely by the gale.
Farmers in the coastal pockets lamented that the government is likely to raise the price of the paddy seeds in Kharif season. They were unhappy over such possibility.
According to the agriculture department, target was set to have paddy cultivation in 7,000 hectares in Bhogarai, 20,000 hectares in Jaleswar and 17,000 hectares in Baliapal block of the Kharif.
In these three blocks, 33 per cent of the ripe paddy was damaged by the cyclone, an official report said.
Farmers are now seeking paddy seeds for the Kharif while the agriculture department and Seeds Supply Corporation have not yet decided on the prices of the seeds. Authorised dealers usually supply seeds, fertilizers and pesticides to farmers at subsidised rates.
On the other hand, dealers – Nilakantha Ghose, Bijay Dasmohapatra, Pradip Pradhan and Sundhansu Tola – alleged that they had paid full price of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides for the Rabi crops but they have not received their subsidies till date.
Now, dealers are not interested to lift paddy seeds for supply. Farmers have to return from dealers empty handed.
Chandra Sekhar Padhi, an officer of Seeds Supply Corporation said that prices for paddy seeds may be hiked.
PNN