Paddy Procurement Crisis in Nuapada: Questions Grow Over Promises, Administration, and Farmers’ Trust

Nuapada, July 2 The ongoing rabi paddy procurement process in Nuapada district has come under sharp criticism, with administrative lapses triggering growing resentment among farmers. Despite the administration’s assurance of 100% procurement, large quantities of paddy remain stranded at Primary Procurement Centres (PPCs), leaving thousands of farmers uncertain about the fate of their produce. On June 25, the district administration, during a meeting at the Khariar mandi, had assured farmers that all paddy brought to the procurement centres would be purchased. Trusting this commitment, farmers transported their produce to the PPCs. However, by June 30, a substantial quantity of paddy had still not been procured, leading to widespread protests and road blockades by aggrieved farmers. During the agitation, the administration reportedly proposed procuring only 70% of the paddy covered under each token, a proposal that was strongly rejected by the farmers. As public outrage intensified, the administration later reaffirmed its commitment to 100% procurement and extended the procurement deadline until July 3. Despite the extension, the situation has shown little improvement. As of July 2, nearly 60,000 bags of paddy were reportedly awaiting lifting at the Khariar PPC alone, while similar conditions prevailed at more than 25 procurement centres across the district. Completing the lifting, weighing, and online documentation of such a huge quantity within the remaining time has become a major administrative challenge. Reports have also emerged that some procurement centres have been instructed to complete the e-KYC and online entry process using average bag weight instead of actual weighing to meet the deadline. Additional data entry operators have reportedly been deployed to speed up the process. However, farmers fear that any discrepancy between the estimated and actual weight could ultimately affect them. According to farmers, if rain-soaked bags are excluded from weighing or procurement is completed on the basis of average weight, a considerable portion of their produce may remain outside the procurement process. They allege that they are being forced to bear the consequences of administrative delays and poor planning. Observers attribute the present crisis largely to delayed paddy lifting, an inadequate number of transport vehicles, and poor coordination among rice millers, the district administration, and the concerned departments. The slow pace of lifting has resulted in huge stockpiles of paddy accumulating at procurement centres. Farmers have demanded that the administration honour its assurance by ensuring 100% procurement of all paddy covered under valid tokens and that no farmer should suffer because of administrative shortcomings. There are also growing demands from various quarters for accountability and a permanent solution to recurring procurement-related problems in the district.