Padamapur (Bhadrak): The civil supplies department has completed the first phase of paddy procurement through various cooperative societies in Basudevpur block of Bhadrak district.
As the societies have stopped buying paddy anymore, the farmers are fuming. They are also bitter because they have stocked thousands of quintals of paddy near mandis, keeping a watch on them amid chilly weather. This has caused a lot of resentment among the farmers who are bracing for a showdown.
Reports said 27,000 quintals of paddy was procured through Padmapur Cooperative Society while over 500 quintals of grains lay outside of it. While 25,000 quintals of paddy was procured through Sugo Cooperative Society, over 2000 quintals of paddy has been stocked outside.
Edatal Cooperative Society has procured 9,000 quintals of paddy, but farmers in the area are yet to sell 400 quintals. The civil supplies department has procured 3,700 quintals of paddy through Balimeda Cooperative Society while farmers have stocked 400 quintals of paddy outside.
Similarly, Bideipur society has procured 20,700 quintals of paddy while 450 quintals of paddy is yet to be procured. Since the department has not come out with its target for the second phase of procurement, further procurement is not being carried out, said secretaries of the cooperative societies.
Sacks of paddy could be seen lying on the roadside in paddy fields. This situation has provided an opportunity for the traders from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to buy paddy from farmers at throwaway prices.
Distress sale of paddy has triggered resentment among the farmers. They alleged that both the Central and state governments have been implementing various schemes and facilities for the welfare of farmers, but paddy procurement is not being done properly.
Farmers Ramakant Biswal, Debendra Biswal, Debendra Nayak, Ratnakar Nayak, Sanatan Das, Rajendra Kumar Ray and Chandrakant Mallick demanded that the civil supplies department should pay attention to paddy procurement. They warned of an agitation if steps are not taken to sort out the issues.
PNN