Kalahandi administration draws up pro-farmer strategies

The Kalahandi district administration is all prepared for the ensuing kharif paddy procurement. With an aim to ensure farmer-friendly procurement, strategies were drawn up at a meeting held here on Wednesday. The kharif procurement process is tentatively scheduled to begin on November 21.

 For the current year, the State Government has set a target to procure 2.32 lakh MT of paddy from Kalahandi which is 1,58,000 MT in the shape of rice. Besides primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS), Markfed, Nafed, TDCC and FCI will procure paddy in the earmarked purchasing centres.

 It was decided to open 105 paddy purchasing centres for PACS as against 80 in the last kharif season. Markfed has suggested opening three purchase centres against six last year, TDCC will open six centres and FCI 10. Nafed is yet to give any list.

 The purchasing committees for each of the centres will consist of revenue inspector, VAW and three farmer representatives. Block development officers and tahsildars will be nodal officers at their respective levels and in the sub-divisional level SDOs will monitor the purchasing process.

 Tentatively 84 rice mills which have made 100 per cent delivery of targeted rice will be tagged to different purchasing centres to lift paddy.

 The procurement strategy meeting was chaired by District Collector Govind Chandra Sethi and attended by Lok Sabha member Bhakta Charan Das, the MLAs and farmers and miller representatives.

 The District Civil Supplies Officer, Indrajit Sahoo, said this was the first phase of the target and subsequently targets would be enhanced.