Farmers voice concern over payment delay as paddy procurement begins in Palakkad

Uncertainty prevailed among paddy farmers successful the territory implicit outgo for their nutrient adjacent arsenic cooperative societies began procurement of paddy successful prime areas. Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh inaugurated the procurement thrust astatine Kappur panchayat adjacent Thrithala past week.

However, the authorities is yet to contented an bid specifying the outgo presumption for the procured paddy. Neither the cooperative societies nor Supplyco, which is overseeing the process, has clarity connected however and erstwhile farmers volition beryllium paid.

Farmers allege that the procurement inaugural being piloted successful Palakkad territory done cooperative societies is an predetermination gimmick. “We person crushed to judge this is an predetermination stunt. Some farmers are inactive waiting to person afloat outgo for the archetypal harvest procured from them,” said Dayanandan, a husbandman from Palakkad.

Cooperative banks progressive successful the procurement said they would merchandise payments erstwhile the authorities issues a wide order. They added that clarity is indispensable arsenic the process involves crores of rupees.

Pandiyodu Prabhakaran, wide caput of the Desiya Karshaka Samrakshana Samiti (DKSS), said farmers were uncertain astir who would wage them and when, for the paddy procured. “Without a due authorities order, cooperative societies volition not merchandise the payment. In specified a situation, the government’s assurance that farmers volition beryllium paid soon aft procurement is improbable to materialise,” helium said.

Meanwhile, the territory committee of the Karshaka Sangham welcomed the government’s determination to scrap the PRS (paddy receipt sheet) indebtedness strategy and way the procurement done cooperative societies. The Sangham acknowledged that payments made done PRS-based loans for paddy procured from farmers had caused sizeable hardship to farmers implicit the past respective years.

Incentive hike

The Karshaka Sangham besides praised the authorities for raising the State inducement for procured paddy to ₹6.31 a kg. At present, paddy is being procured astatine ₹30 a kg, which includes the Union government’s minimum enactment terms (MSP) of ₹23.69 and a State bonus of ₹6.31.

Karshaka Sangham territory caput M.R. Murali credited Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh and Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan with rescuing farmers from the hardships caused by the PRS indebtedness system.

However, leaders of the DKSS dismissed the claims arsenic politically motivated. “What were they doing each this while? Did the Karshaka Sangham signifier immoderate protestation erstwhile payments were delayed for months and farmers were denied slope loans due to the fact that of the PRS system?” asked Mr. Prabhakaran.