Farmers of Odisha’s Gajapati sell paddy to Andhra traders
By Sisir Panigrahy
Ahead of procurement in Gajapati from Tuesday, traders from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh are busy buying paddy stock from the district’s farmers and even issuing tokens to them.
Gajapati authorities claim to have installed CCTV cameras at border check points, besides keeping a strict vigil on transportation but right under their nose, AP traders are in business as a result of which trucks carrying paddy from Gajapati are making their way to the neighbouring state.
A good quantity of harvested paddy is still wet and discoloured but Andhra traders are purchasing at will and at a much lower price than the minimum support price in Odisha. This year, the state government is paying an input subsidy of Rs 800 over and above the MSP of Rs 2,300 per quintal of paddy which meets FAQ standard.
On the other hand, the Andhra traders are paying in the range of Rs 1,100- Rs 1,900 per quintal depending on the condition of paddy. Despite the low price, the farmers are eagerly selling their harvest for immediate payment.
Girish Nayak, a native of Kerandi village, owns two acre land. All of his paddy harvest was hit by the rains and discoloured. He sold his paddy to an AP trader because he needs money to meet the expenses of Makar Sankranti festival. “The price is cheaper but I received the money once it reached Andhra mills,” said Nayak.
He said Gajapati administration announced to open the mandis from December 30 but postponed it to January 7. “Even till date, we are not sure whether they will purchase discoloured paddy or not. If I do not sell it to Andhra and keep the stock with me, is there any guarantee Gajapati administration will buy it,” he said.
Dushmant Nayak, another farmer, got a token of Andhra Pradesh. “Why should I wait for gajapati procurement to start,” he wonders.Gajapati Zilla Krushak Sangha president Surya Patnaik, said this year over 50 per cent paddy crop was damaged due to unseasonal rains. The district administration, so far, has not assured the farmers about relaxation of FAQ norms, he said adding, the farmers, obviously, are opting for distress sale with Makar Sankranti drawing close and loans are to be paid back.
Chief civil supplies officer of Gajapati Prafulla Behera said the administration has adequately publicised the assistance for crop loss and sensitised farmers about the enhanced price of Rs 3100 per quintal of paddy. “In such a situation, selling paddy to AP traders is most unfortunate and foolishness,” he added.
He said the stock sold to AP traders is farmers’ surplus but expressed ignorance over tokens being issued by AP government for procurement from Gajapati farmers.
The CSO said, the administration has issued tokens to farmers and procurement will start from Tuesday. “We are hopeful we will achieve our procurement target of 5.85 lakh quintal this season,” he said. This year, there is a bumper crop in the district but the rain dampened the spirits.
This article has been republished from The New Indian Express.