The ongoing Covid-19 lockdown which resulted in delay in procurement of paddy has virtually broken the spines of the farmers as the crop they produced after an year-long hard labour and investment are yet to provide expected dividends, said Bharatiya Bikash Parishad State president Surendra Panigrahi in a Press meet held here recently.
Due to non-procurement of paddy, the farmers of the Ganjam district are in great distress and in fiscal strain, Panigrahi alleged. The Government should immediately expedite the process of procurement of crops from the farmers of the district without any further delay, Panigrahi demanded.
The Parishad has also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister requesting him to take necessary steps to operationalise the Mandis and start procuring paddy from the farmers.
According to information available, out of 1,34,400 farmers enlisted/registered in the district, only 79,900 farmers have so far sold their paddy in Government Mandi, while a larger chunk of 54,500 farmers are not able to sell their paddy due to closure of the Mandi owing to covid-19 lockdown, causing great fiscal stress to the farming community, the Parishad alleged.
Thousands of farmers though have been provided token to sell their paddy but in vain, the Memorandum said.
Even though the Central Government has given instructions to the State Governments to keep the Mandi open, but the State Government has closed the Mandi causing irreparable loss to the farming community, Panigrahi alleged.