Slow Government Procurement of Paddy Angers Farmers in Odisha

09-Dec-2025 10:16 AM

Cuttack. In Bargarh, a key district of Odisha that contributes significantly to the central pool of paddy–rice, government agencies are procuring paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at a very slow pace. As a result, huge stocks of paddy have piled up in the mandis, and farmers are being forced to wait long periods to sell their produce. Government procurement began on 28 November, but soon after, the process slowed down considerably. The extremely sluggish pace of procurement amid heaps of paddy in the mandis has left farmers deeply frustrated. They have warned the government that if the procurement speed is not increased soon, they will launch protests.

The situation is becoming increasingly serious. Due to delays in the procurement process, thousands of farmers are having to wait to obtain tokens, and rice millers are also reluctant to lift the paddy allocated to them. In an important meeting held on 7 December, concerns were raised about growing anger among western Odisha farmers, and it was cautioned that the administration must intervene immediately to normalise the situation. First, the mandis were opened late, and second, the procurement process has been nearly inactive. Only a symbolic quantity of paddy has been purchased from farmers at a few centres.

Thousands of bags of paddy are lying in the mandis, and there is no clarity on when and how this stock will be procured. Despite the ongoing Assembly session, the government has not presented any concrete plan regarding paddy procurement.