Srikakulam: Paddy farmers worry over unseasonal rains

Srikakulam: Incessant unseasonal rains and apathy of officials in paddy procurement disappointed the farmers in the district during the current season. Farmers want to sale their produce to the government agencies but the officials concerned failed to provide proper accommodation to store procured paddy.

So far Food Corporation of India (FCI), Civil Supplies, Market Committees gowdowns and rice mills packed up with the paddy procured from the farmers. As a result, they stopped procurement of paddy. Due to unseasonal rains, farmers are putting pressure on officials to procure their paddy on quick pace as they are unable to protect their produce from the rains.

According to officials, during kharif season 10 lakh metric tonnes (MTs) paddy yields was estimated in the district. Paddy crop was being cultivated in an extent of 5.85 lakh acres in the district.

AP State Civil Supplies Corporation decided to procure 80 per cent of paddy. So far procured quantity of paddy from the farmers is 4.93 MTs and need to procure remaining 3.07 MTs of paddy produce from the farmers.

Paddy procurement stopped in several mandals across the district in the wake of completion of targets fixed for procurement centres. "We have received number of requests from farmers and also through people representatives and making alternative arrangements for procurement of paddy after searching for proper location for storage

of procured paddy," said APCSC district manager (DM), P Jayanthi.