BALASORE: Even as the Government claims to have opened mandis to procure paddy directly from farmers, they are being forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices to the traders of neighbouring states.If sources are to be believed, truckloads of paddy from Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts is being transported to Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.Though the minimum support price (MSP) has been fixed at Rs 1,080 a quintal, farmers in the region claim they are forced to sell the paddy at Rs 750 to Rs 825 to the traders. Distress sale is a big shock for the farmers who had already suffered from flood during transplantation and lack of rain during fruit-bearing stage.The farmers alleged that middlemen are ruling the roost in the absence of government procurement centres. “We are forced to sell the paddy through the middlemen at Rs 250 less than the MSP as no government agency is directly purchasing paddy from us,” alleged Ananta Barik of Kusadiha village. The district has set a target of procuring 70,000 quintal of rice through 135 centres this year. Even as the administration had announced procurement of paddy from December 1 through all the centres, only 12 centres are functioning as on Monday. Civil Supplies Officer Narayan Pati, however, said all the centres would be opened in the next few days across the district. The paddy will be procured through Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation, Nafed and Markfed. While last year the target was set for 80,000 quintal rice, the district could achieve only 67 per cent due to drought.Pati said this year the target had been slashed by 12 per cent due to flood and lack of rain later. “Like previous years, the FAQ will be maintained and accordingly the farmers have been alerted. We are also keeping a vigil on the traders from other districts,” he said.
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