Delay in procurement puts paddy farmers in distress
Delay in the procurement of harvested paddy has put farmers in Kuttanad in distress.
Farmers of three paddy polders underneath the Kavalam Krishi Bhavan, the place harvest was accomplished a number of days in the past, mentioned the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) and rice mills weren’t prepared to obtain their produce. They mentioned that regardless of the specter of rain, harvested paddy was being stored in polders itself.
Apart from Kavalam, farmers in Ramankary, Kainakary, Thalavady, Veeyapuram, Cheruthana, Pallipad, Haripad amongst different locations in Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad areas are going through procurement delays. On Monday, farmers staged an agitation in entrance of Thalavady Krishi Bhavan demanding speedy procurement of the harvested crop.
Farmers in the area alleged that mills have been demanding extra wastage citing excessive moisture content material in the harvested paddy.
“Rice mills are trying to take advantage of the situation. They are demanding more wastage knowing farmers are desperate to sell produce due to rain threat among other factors. Some of the agents are demanding wastage up to 15 kg per quintal of paddy. The sad part is the officials concerned remain a mute spectator to all this,” mentioned a paddy farmer from Kainakary.
Paddy farming has been undertaken in round 28,913.655 hectares in Alappuzha district in the ‘puncha’ crop season (first crop), a serious portion of which is in Kuttanad. The Supplyco has to date procured 1.10 lakh tonne of paddy from round 24,000 hectares in Alappuzha in the ‘puncha’ season. Rest 5,000 hectares are anticipated to go underneath mix harvesters in the approaching days.
Alini Antony, Principal Agricultural Officer, mentioned that 5,200 tonnes of harvested paddy had been awaiting procurement. The procurement of the harvested paddy could be accomplished in per week.
Earlier this month, a number of farmers who cultivated paddy had suffered enormous losses after summer time rain destroyed harvest-ready crops in massive tracts in completely different elements of the district. Besides, the rain-drenched a number of tonnes of harvested paddy saved in paddy polders for shifting to rice mills.
Meanwhile, the district administration has postponed the opening of the shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund because of a delay in the completion of harvest and procurement in Kuttanad. Earlier, authorities determined to open 31 of the 90 shutters of the bund on April 27. Officials mentioned the shutters would now be opened in a phased method from April 30.