There seems to be no end to the woes of the paddy farmers in Central Travancore.
Having suffered major crop losses during the unseasonal rains last month, the latest bout of rains has further hardened the life of paddy farmers in northern and Upper Kuttanad regions. Adding to their concerns is the inordinate delay in sorting out the outstanding issues over procurement of the crop with the rice mill units.
According to farmers, hundreds of tonnes of paddy harvested from various polders across Kottayam and Pathanamthitta are now facing the prospects of a total loss due to a delay in procurement.
Though the harvesting operations were complete in most locations, the delay in procurement is expected to have an impact on the next cycle of cultivation as well.
Taking a serious note of the concerns raised by farmers, the State government convened a meeting at Changanassery two days ago that issued directions to the Supplyco as well as the rice mill units to expedite the procurement process.
The meeting, attended by Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil and Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan, had also asked the mill units to keep middlemen away while fixing the purchase deals with farmers.
These directions, according to the farmers, are hardly implemented on the ground. “The rains have come at the most inopportune time as cultivators in Kottayam are already under duress over a hard bargaining by the rice mills. The millers are ready to purchase the paddy only with a concession of up to seven kilograms per quintal’‘, said Aby Ipe, District General Secretary of the Karshaka Congress, Kottayam.
With the unseasonal rains set to raise the moisture content in the crop beyond permissible limit, farmers are now wary of the mills and their agents further increasing the concession limit. The slowing down of procurement has also forced the farmers to keep the paddy in the open for several days, which, in turn, has added to their concern.
Of the total 47,600 tonnes to be procured from Kottayam, some 5,000 tonnes still remain on the fields while harvesting in about 98 polders is yet to be completed. The situation in Pathanamthitta too appears grim with the procurement operation reaching only the half-way stage in Upper Kuttanad.
When contacted, the paddy marketing officer in Pathanamthitta, however, claimed that only about 75 loads of the crop harvested from the Peringara and Niranom villages remained to be procured.
