The Odisha government today ruled out any provision of bonus for farmers during the paddy procurement for the kharif marketing season-2015-16, slated to start from November 15.
"The Central government has categorically directed the state government not to provide any bonus to the farmers during the paddy procurement. If any state deviates from the direction, the Centre said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will not lift the procured food grains", state's food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma said here.
Dasburma, who was here to review preparedness for the paddy procurement in 10 southern districts, said the farmers could sell their paddy at 3,000 mandies at the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the central government.
The Centre has fixed the MSP for common and grade-A paddy at Rs 1410 and Rs 1450 per quintal respectively, sources said.
Even as the state is reeling under the drought situation due to scanty rainfall, the government has fixed a procurement target of 45-lakh tones of paddy for the kharif marketing season-2015-16. The government has identified crop loss in 139 blocks of 21 districts as an eye-estimation, sources said.
"We hope to achieve the target as the farmers will yield bumper crop in several blocks of the states", minister said. He said paddy procurement target was fixed after consulting with the farmers of different districts.
"We have also asked the collectors to open more such mnadies, if necessary for the convenience of the farmers" he stated.
The minister said the government has decided to expand the paddy procurement automation system (P-PAS) from 60 blocks last year to 160 blocks this year. The payments of the farmers following the sale of the paddy would be directly transferred to their accounts in the P-PAS, he added.
District collectors and civil supply officers of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Malkanagiri, Nabarangapur, Koraput, Kalahandi and Nuapada were attended in the conference.
