Daringbadi: Although ‘development’ is the main slogan of all political parties during elections here in Daringbadi, their tall claims are never put into action after the polls are over. The worst affected are the farmers of this high altitude region.
Even though Daringbadi is known for superior quality turmeric, maize, mustard, ragi and vegetables, distress sales by farmers is common here going by the procurement statistics, thanks to administrative indifference.
There is no organised market here for agricultural produce. Moreover, the lack of cold storage facilities has added to the woes of farmers. Although there are five cold storages in the district in Phulbani and Baliguda (ITDA), they have not been working for the last four years.
The total cropped area in Kandhamal stands at 1,27,790 hectares. Of this, 50,000 hectares are under paddy. As per reports, only 27,434 hectares have irrigation facilities, while the remaining 99,356 hectares do not have irrigation.
The administration claims that it is with farmers, but the fact is that the latter are often exploited by millers and traders. The last five years’ paddy procurement statistics clearly show the administration’s indifference.
As per records, the government’s paddy procurement fell short of the target of 1,37,814.45 quintals. Even then civil supplies officials are not ready to admit that farmers are forced to resort to distress sale.
Every year, the administration fixes paddy price and the date of procurement. But the mandis open only after farmers are fleeced by middlemen. With no option left to maintain their families and repay their loans, the farmers are forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices.
“Every year, for some or the other reason, the mandis open late. So farmers sell their grains to middlemen at prices much lower than the government-fixed minimum support price. Moreover, the cost of transport to bring the paddy from villages to paddy procurement centres is very high as they are mostly located far away from villages,” a farmer said.
As per government records, while the administration had set a target to procure 1,76,470.59 quintals of paddy in 2013-14, only 1,70,274.51 quintals could be procured. Similarly, in 2014-15, although the target was 2,50,000 quintals, only 1,74,057.28 quintals were procured.
In 2015-16, of the 95,588.24 quintals target, only 86,417.31 quintals were procured. In 2016-17, of the 1,02,941.18 quintals target, only 85,319.73 quintals were procured, while in 2017-2018, of the 85,294.12 quintals target, only 56,410.85 quintals were procured.
These statistics clearly show that paddy procurement is declining with each passing year. The administration did not open mandis in 2018-19, for reasons best known to the officials concerned. When contacted, the officials failed to provide any satisfactory answer.
Deputy director of agriculture, Kandhamal, Pradip Kumar Rath said, “Kandhamal is known for maize, turmeric, ginger, chilli, vegetables, oil and pulses. Paddy is grown very less here as the region is mountainous.”
“I have travelled to all the 12 blocks of the district in the last six months. All steps were taken to provide farmers with quality fertilizers and seeds. I agree that their production was less than the target, but steps are being taken to improve production this year,” he added.
“The government has set a target to procure 2,000 quintals of paddy this year,” Rath said, adding at least 12 LAMPS have been opened for procurement, and steps are being taken to open more.
Similarly, while the government has set a target to provide Rs 49 crore as loans to farmers during the 2014 kharif season, only Rs 43.70 crore (89 per cent) was sanctioned. Only Rs 39.85 crore (77 per cent) was disbursed as loans although the target was Rs 51.60 crore in the 2014-15 rabi season.
In 2015 kharif, of the Rs 61.42 crore target, only Rs 21 crore (74 per cent) was disbursed. In the 2015-16 rabi season of the Rs 50 crore target, only Rs 39.99 crore (80 per cent) was distributed. In the 2016 kharif season, of the Rs 53 crore target, only Rs 39.44 crore (74 per cent) was sanctioned. In the 2016-17 rabi season, of the Rs 51 crore target, only Rs 37.65 crore (71 per cent) was disbursed. In the 2017 kharif although the target was Rs 52 crore, Rs 52.62 crore was disbursed as loans (101 per cent).
During the 2017-18 rabi, of the Rs 52 crore target, only Rs 37.65 crore (72 per cent) was disbursed.
In the 2017-18 rabi season of the Rs 45 crore target, Rs 42.1 crore (93 per cent) was disbursed. In 2018 kharif the target was Rs 54 crore, but Rs 56.18 crore (104 per cent) was disbursed.
Similarly, in fiscal 2018-19, a target of Rs 45 crore has been set and Rs 35.92 crore has been disbursed till now.
Farmers have raised doubts as to why the administration was not repairing the cold storages since four years.
There are two cold storages in Phiringia and Khajuripada blocks. But due to the delay in setting up clubs, the cold storages are lying unused. Similarly, there are three cold storages under Baliguda ITDA.
A new cold storage is being built in G. Udayagiri and it will start functioning in the next 15 days, Phulbani ITDA Project Director Birendra Kumar Das said.
When asked about the dysfunctional cold storages, Collector Brundha D. said she had ordered the Project Directors to take action. “Steps are being taken to help farmers. Even if late, the mandis will be opened,” she said.
PNN