The groundnut growers of the district are facing distress sale due to apathy of the authorities. The farmers alleged that they were procuring seed at a higher prices, yet while selling the groundnut they have to find few takers and as such the distress sale.
They alleged the farmers are forced to take drastic steps like committing suicide since they were not getting their returns. They said their investment in the groundnut which includes fertiliser and pesticide, besides manual labour, is too high. They also alleged that they face natural calamities almost every year leading to huge losses.
According to the farmers, in Baleswar district groundnut is cultivated in around 7,000 hectares of land in Jaleswar agriculture region which includes Jaleswar ,Bhograi and Baliapal blocks.
Some of the groundnut growers of Laxamannath and Gobarghata GP of Jaleswar block, Santosh Dalei and Atul Kumar Kar alleged that although they procure the seed at the rate Rs 63 per kilogramme, yet they are forced to sell their produce at a rate of Rs 43 per kilogramme.
They alleged that their cultivation in the current season suffered a setback following cyclone Fani. Due to waterlogging in their fields for days together, they faced the fear of rotting, they said.
Several other farmers including Bhanu Parmanik , Laxmidhar Dalei and Gopal Behera alleged that the farmers in the region although undertake groundnut cultivation after taking hand loans and utilizing other resources yet they face the distress sale as the Government didn’t have measure of procuring them.
The farmers while undertake groundnut as cultivation along with paddy in the region to eke out a living, yet neither their interest is protected nor they are encouraged, lamented farmer Anadi Patra.