Rice procurement strategy to target farmers’ interests

The Statesman, Oct 30, 2008
Statesman News Service

BHAWANIPATNA, Oct. 29: With paddy fields expected to be ready for harvest in one week’s time, a procurement strategy has been drawn up by the district administration to meet the procurement requirement target and to protect farmers’ interest.
The procurement which will start from 1 November will be done through Regulatory Market Committee Mandies*. Initially 51 mandies will be opened and with the progress of harvesting more mandies will be set up at gram panchayat level wherever required, sources said.
In comparison to the two lakh 85 thousand 770 metric tons of rice procured in Kalahandi last year which is equivalent to four lakh 23 thousand 166 metric tons of paddy, for the procurement season of 2008-09, the state government has fixed a target of two lakh 60 thousand metric tons rice which will be equivalent to three lakh 53 thousand tons of paddy. The lower target for the current procurement season may lead to distress sale as was witnessed some years ago, farmers fear. Besides the regulated market committee (RMC) of the district does not have the required equipment such as weighing scales, paddy analysis kits and moisture meter to take up procurement of rice on a large scale, the farmers claimed.
Although the district administration has reportedly asked the RMC authorities to start purchasing the equipment, the farmers doubt the equipment will be ready before the procurement begins since it is a time consuming process.