Traders and millers have captured the market yards in Bargarh district with the result that the genuine farmers have to sell their paddy to the middlemen rather than the Government.
Although market yards of the district have opened since second week of November, yet numerous allegations have come against paddy procurement. The farmers were forced to sell their paddy at under rate to the millers through middlemen as they failed to dispose of paddy in the mandis.
Paddy was transported illegally from Mahasamund, Raigarh, Bagbahara, Pithora, Shankara and Basna of Chhattisgarh to the district as the Government price in Odisha is more than the neighbouring State and sold at the mandis. Transporting illegal paddy from Chhattisgarh to Odisha is easier than it is from Odisha to Chhattisgarh. Western Odisha Farmers Association convener lingaraja has threatened stir unless the Government solved the problem.