Ranpur: Paddy seeds supplied by the agriculture department to farmers in the block are not germinating when sown as they are of very low quality.
Farmers who have taken up paddy farming after borrowing money are facing difficulties due to this and are committing suicide. Many such incidents have been reported from the villages of Ranpur block.
Sources said Kharif paddy is cultivated every year in around 17,325 hectares in Ranpur block. The Odisha State Seeds Corporation had supplied nearly 312 quintals of paddy seeds to the Ranpur block unit of the agriculture department this year.
The Kharif paddy seeds were sold to farmers through societies in Ranpur block. The Ranpur society was given 280 quintals of paddy seeds and the Sunakhala society was given 32 quintals.
Each packet contained 20 kg of paddy seeds and the government had priced it at Rs 380 a kg, but the society sold them at Rs 400 to farmers.
On Akshaya Tritiya day after performing Akshi Muthi rituals, the farmers had sown paddy seeds like Puja, Masuri, Lalat, Nabin, 1075 and 1009 purchased from the societies.
However, to the shock of farmers the paddy seeds are not germinating. The farmers are now worried as they have to pay back loans taken for farming.
Farmers Golaka Bihari Sahu, Prabhakar Sahu and Harihar Pradhan of Kolathapangi village said, “We are sowing paddy seeds every year provided by the government through societies, but shockingly the seeds sown around two months back have not germinated.”
Similarly, farmers Sadashiv Parida and Sudarshan Pradhan of Musajhari village said, “We had to purchase the paddy seeds at Rs 400 a packet from the society, instead of the MRP of Rs 380. But the seeds did not germinate and our fields are barren.”
On being contacted, Ranpur agriculture officer Rajashree Sahu said, “Societies were given the paddy seeds to sell at the MRP printed on the packets. As per the advised procedure, first a sample of 100 paddy seeds should be taken out from the packet and sown. At least 80 of those should germinate if the seeds are good.”
She said the local farmers might have sown the paddy seeds directly in their fields which resulted in a low rate of germination.
PNN