Officials failed to procure paddy in Srikakulam

• Middlemen cashing the situation
• Transporting to Odisha
• Farmers are losing MSP

Srikakulam: Civil supplies officials of Srikakulam district failed to procure kahrif paddy produce sufficiently from farmers in the district during current year. As a result middlemen and traders are cashing the situation to exploit farmers. As per agricultural and civil supplies officials calculations total seven lakh metric tonnes paddy produced during kharif season across the district. Paddy is being cultivated total six lakh acres extent in the district.

Officials have planned to start 122 paddy purchasing centers (PPC) across the district under the supervision of various departments district rural development agency (DRDA), Agricultural market committee (AMC), integrated tribal development authority (ITDA). But total number of PPCs are not started yet across the district and even not started immediately after kharif crops harvesting.

Normally PPCs are required to start by middle of the November every year but this time not started till last week of December in the meanwhile brokers, traders, middlemen entered in the field and procured the paddy from farmers by paying Rs 1200 for per 82 KGs bag which is Rs 263 less than government fixed minimum support price (MSP) to paddy produce.

The traders also shifting our paddy to adjacent Odisha state to earn more as demand is high for Andhra paddy in Odisha. The traders also showing fake way bills created in the name of farmers. They also collected xerox copies of pattadar pass book, aadhar cards of the farmers to avoid checkings on roads on their way to Odisha. Due to Titli cyclone and relief operations PPCs not started on time in the district this year and we are procuring paddy from farmers by PPCs explained civil supplies district manager, V.Mohan Babu.