PADDY SEED SHORTAGE HITS FARMERS IN BALANGIR
Wednesday, 12 June 2013 |
PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar
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Though
the first monsoon rains have created a favourable condition for sowing of paddy
seeds, farmers in Balangir district are facing shortage of paddy seeds
affecting their cultivation process.
According to sources in
the Deputy Director of Agriculture office here, this year kharif paddy
cultivation has been targeted to be taken up in 1,86,000 hectares of land in
the district and a total of 1,11,600 quintals of seeds are required.
Deputy Director of
Agriculture Manoranjan Mallick speaking to this correspondent said, “We have
placed an indent of 52,653 quintals of paddy seeds this year. Besides the
Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), this year the Odisha Agro Industries
Corporation (OAIC) has also been asked to supply seeds to farmers.”
“However till today, we
have received only 4,093 quintals of seeds from both the agencies which is
extremely inadequate to meet the farmers’ demands,” he informed.
The seed processing unit
in Balangir district is not functioning, thereby increasing the dependence of
farmers on the seeds sold in open market at higher prices. Irate farmers
gheraoed the office of the Deputy Director of Agriculture on Monday protesting
shortage of paddy seeds.
“We gheraoed the DDA
office protesting against the shortage of paddy seeds and stopped a meeting
midway there. Unless the paddy seeds situation in the district improves
significantly, farmers will resort to district-wide agitation soon,” said
president of Zilla Krushak Mahasangh Sudhir Parischha.
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