Cyclone Phailin and the subsequent rains not only damaged standing paddy crops but reduced the quality of a huge amount of paddy after it was harvested all over the Hirakud command area. Hence, the Centre has been requested to relax the norms for the fair average quality (FAQ) of paddy during procurement, informed Odisha State Civil Supply Corporation (OSCSC) Managing Director Suresh Basisth after a review meeting here.
At the same time, he requested the millers, farmers and their leaders to cooperate with the district administration for smooth procurement of paddy.
“There is no problem for price of the paddy of whatever quality now available. The FAQ norm is creating problem in paddy procurement as the purchasing agencies and millers are strict on it. The farmers are left with little option than to return home with their paddy unsold as most paddy after the cyclonic storm and rains have lost their standard. Hence, we have sent a proposal to the Government of India for a relaxation in the FAQ norm, so that both the millers and the farmers get benefitted,” revealed Basisth after the meeting.
The frequent agitations by the farmers and their organisations in Sambalpur demanding procurement of their paddy without consideration of its quality on one hand and the millers sticking to the FAQ norms on the other had created a stalemate in the procurement process in the district. Basisth had held a review meeting here and discussed separately with the millers, farmer leaders, administrative officers, including the District Collector, CSO, sub–collectors, officials of the Agriculture department to find a solution to the issue.
He proposed the farmer leaders, officials involved in procurement and farmers to visit Punjab and Haryana and see their procurement system. Basisth said that production of wheat and paddy in the two States is more than Odisha, but the procurement is hassle free and urged all the stakeholders to emulate their system.
He further suggested the local administration to get strict on the brokers in the market yards. He also praised on-line payment to the farmers including instant lifting of paddy.
During the review meeting, farmers and millers narrated their own problems. The farmer leaders also brought the inadequate facilities and infrastructure in the market yards to the notice of the MD.
Sources said 3.85 lakh bags of paddy have come to different market yards of the district so far, while 3.32 bags were lifted. At the same time, on-line payment of Rs8.10 crore had been made to the farmers.