Paddy procurement: Farmers allege arbitrariness by rice millers in Odisha’s Kendrapara

Hundreds of farmers associated with the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) in Nial village under Aul block of Kendrapara district alleged severe harassment on Sunday by rice millers over refusal to lift their paddy.

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According to the farmers, paddy has been lying at the Nial paddy mandi, but millers are avoiding procurement on questionable grounds.

On Saturday evening, three trucks from a Pattamundai-based rice mill had arrived at the Nial mandi to lift paddy. However, the miller allegedly claimed that the entire stock stored at the mandi was of inferior quality and sent the trucks back without loading any produce. Instead, the same trucks allegedly procured paddy from the Demal mandi.

Angered by this move, farmers intercepted the trucks near Nial Chhak while they were en route to the mill from Demal mandi. The vehicles were detained for nearly four hours. The standoff ended only after the miller reportedly assured the farmers that paddy from the Nial mandi would be lifted.

“I had around 71 quintals of paddy and have been waiting for the last four days to sell them. Only 10 quintals were procured four days ago. I have not yet received my payment against the procured produce,” a local farmer, Ananta Samal, said to mediapersons.

“Despite waiting for days together, our paddy has not been lifted. The millers told us the paddy was of poor quality. They superfluously checked the sacks, did not verify the quality, and left without procuring,” another farmer, Ramakanta Sahoo, stated.

Following the assurance, the farmers released the detained trucks. No official response has been received from the concerned rice miller regarding the allegations.