Malkangiri: Farmers of MV-79 area under Kalimela block in Malkangiri district have brought their harvested groundnuts to the mandi after four months of relentless hard work, but they are not getting fair prices for their produce, according to reports.
For more than three weeks, groundnuts brought by farmers have remained unsold at the MPV-81 mandi. Disheartened by the delay, farmers are now being forced to sell at a nominal price of ₹4,400 per quintal to private traders.
This is significantly lower than the government-fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹6,724 per quintal for FAQ (Fair Average Quality) groundnuts for the current year.
Farmers have alleged that mandi officials are taking away 1 to 2 kilograms of groundnuts from each consignment in the name of quality checking. Even though more than 65% of the produce meets grade standards, the mandi is not lifting the groundnuts, leaving farmers feeling helpless as their stock piles up day and night at the mandi.
Due to the threat of rain, some farmers are covering their groundnut sacks with plastic tarpaulin to prevent spoilage. Farmers present at the mandi — Shailan Mandal, Ashok Mandal, Pratap Sarkar, Subrata Mistry, Ratan Haldar, Subata Mandal, Kalpana Bepari, and Purna Dhali — have expressed deep dissatisfaction over the chaotic management of the mandi.
They have urged the attention of responsible officials including Ajit Kumar Mahanti, Rajanikanta Das, Rajusodi, Tapan Baroi, and Komal Haldar. However, the officials have been avoiding responsibility, merely replying that they are “trying”.
The farmers have demanded immediate intervention from the district administration and mandi authorities to resolve the issue. They warned that if their grievances are not taken seriously, it could soon escalate into a major protest.