Kotpad: Since the opening of the Rabi mandi in Kotpad block, disorganization has persisted. In a grievance hearing camp held yesterday by the district administration, issues regarding the mandi were discussed. After millers got word of the discussion, they promptly lifted 3 truckloads of paddy.
Although the mandi in Kotpad officially opened on the 5th of June, due to problems in sorting and procurement, paddy lifting had not yet started. Upon learning of this issue, District Collector V. Keerthi Vasan and Jeypore Sub-Collector A. Shasya Rao visited the mandi to assess the situation firsthand.
During the grievance hearing, many farmers expressed that only a few had seen their paddy lifted. Reportedly, 1 truckload was lifted from Bobeya mandi and 2 trucks from Kotpad mandi. However, with rains starting today, farmers are increasingly worried.
The procurement agency stated that unless 10–12 truckloads are lifted daily, it will not be possible to complete procurement before the monsoon. If not done in time, there’s a high risk of paddy getting soaked due to rain.
Full cooperation from the millers is essential. Their non-cooperation, combined with pressure from the onset of monsoon, has worsened farmers’ plight. Additionally, lack of storage space at the mandi is causing hardships. Most farmers, after drying their paddy, are forced to store it along roadsides due to space shortages. If the paddy gets wet, losses are inevitable.
Kotpad’s farming community has urged the district administration to immediately look into this pressing issue.
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