PADDY LYING IN THRESHING YARDS, FARMERS DISTRESSED

PADDY LYING IN THRESHING YARDS, FARMERS DISTRESSED

18-DEC-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGAWAL

BUXAR---------------------------The difficulties of farmers in Belhari village under Nawanagar block of the district are increasing these days. The paddy is ready in the threshing yards, but farmers are troubled due to the lack of timely procurement by PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) and trade associations. The quality of the paddy has been affected due to the unseasonal rains, which is causing cooperative societies to also delay procurement.

Farmers say that although the administration has made arrangements for paddy procurement, the pace of cooperative societies at the ground level is very slow. Even those farmers whose paddy is being purchased are having to wait four to five days for payment.

It is being said that the unseasonal rains that occurred during the ripening of the crop caused waterlogging in many fields, resulting in the paddy falling over and the grains turning black. Moneylenders are offering to buy such paddy in the open market at a rate of Rs. 1800 to 2000 per quintal, while the support price for paddy in cooperative societies is fixed at Rs. 2369 per quintal. Hoping for a higher price, farmers are forced to make rounds of PACS and trade associations.

In the district's 11 blocks, 113 PACS and trade associations have been authorized for paddy procurement. So far, 19,048 farmers have registered, but despite this, paddy is still lying in the threshing yards. Belhari farmers Rangji Singh and Shashi Singh said that the paddy is kept in the threshing yard after threshing, but the people associated with PACS are not initiating the procurement process.

Farmers Rajesh Singh and Dashrath Singh say that their entire capital has been invested in paddy cultivation. Now they need money for wheat sowing, but the inability to sell the paddy has created a crisis for future farming. Farmers allege that the government announces schemes in the interest of farmers, but they are not being implemented at the block level.

The delay in payment after the sale of paddy is also adding to the farmers' troubles. Deepak Singh, a farmer from Bhadar village, said that he has to wait for five days for payment after selling his paddy. Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar Singh, president of the Dumraon Vyapar Mandal (Traders' Association), said that after the paddy is purchased, an advice note is sent to the State Food Corporation (SFC), after which the amount is credited to the farmers' accounts. There is some delay at present, but the situation will improve as the pace of procurement increases.

According to official sources, 53,735 quintals and 32 kilograms of paddy have been procured so far in the district through cooperative societies. Efforts are underway to expedite the procurement process so that the paddy lying in the threshing yards can be sold quickly and farmers can get relief.