Rain-Soaked Paddy Leaves Kalahandi Farmers Facing Heavy Losses
Hundreds of quintals of paddy stored in the open at Kapurmal Mandi in Kalahandi have been damaged by unseasonal rain and thunderstorms. Farmers allege excessive deductions for wet paddy and blame the slow procurement process for worsening their losses. They have urged the administration to speed up paddy lifting operations.
Kalahandi: Hundreds of quintals of paddy are lying in the open at the Kapurmal Sub-Mandi under the Mukhiguda Regulated Market Committee in Odisha's Kalahandi district, leaving farmers worried about heavy losses due to unseasonal rain and thunderstorms.Farmers had brought their hard-earned produce to the mandi with hopes of selling it at a fair price. However, continuous rain and Kalbaisakhi storms have left large quantities of paddy soaked, raising concerns over quality deterioration and financial losses. According to farmers, once the paddy gets wet, millers and PACS officials impose higher deductions citing quality issues. While deductions normally range between 5 and 6 kilograms per quintal, farmers allege that wet paddy can lead to deductions of as much as 7 to 10 kilograms, significantly reducing their earnings. The situation has been worsened by the slow pace of paddy procurement and lifting operations. Farmers say they have been waiting for days to sell their produce, only to see it damaged by adverse weather conditions. With anxiety mounting among cultivators, there is growing demand for the district administration to immediately expedite the lifting of paddy stored at Kapurmal Mandi and prevent further losses to farmers already struggling with rising cultivation costs and uncertain weather.