The Odisha government has decided to put in place automatic grain analyzer for grain quality testing at procurement centres to ensure that farmers are not harassed over the fair average quality (FAQ) of their produce.

Meanwhile, ahead of the paddy procurement for the current kharif season beginning from 20 November, an inter-ministerial review meeting chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Kanak Bardhan Singhdeo was held on Sunday to ensure hassle-free procurement process.

These automatic grain analyzer machines have already been provided for installation in 200 large paddy procurement centres (PPCs) with a paddy collection capacity of more than 4000 metric tons. Moisture testing machine has also been arranged along with it, Singhdeo said while reviewing the process.

The state government has announced the highest support price of Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy from the procurement season beginning on 20 November. “We are taking all possible steps so that the farmers do not face any problem with the remunerative price of their produce, he said.

The process of paddy procurement will be taken up with steps to plug the irregularities, brokering, ‘katni-chhatni’ (price reduction based on grain quality assessment) and providing fair and remunerative price to the farmers for their crops. The paddy procurement will start from Bargarh and Sambalpur from 20 and 22 November, he said.

Ts 800 per quintal additional input assistance with the minimum support price for paddy will be provided for the first time. Its disbursement will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister from Sohela of Bargarh district on 8 December.  All the farmers who have sold paddy in the mandies (warehouses) till December 7 December will get 800 rupees per quintal at one go, he further said.

The millers are being advised to be present in the mandi to stop the Katni Chhatni. Each district will have a control room system for the convenience of farmers. The entire process will be done transparently. For this, a nodal officer, and supervisor have been appointed at Mandi.

The government will organise a state-level farmers’ convention on December 8 at Sohela in the Bargarh district, where farmers will be assured an additional Rs 800 per quintal. This additional payment, along with the MSP, will be transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts within 48 hours via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The kharif paddy procurement will commence from Bargarh district on November 20 followed by Sambalpur on November 22, and then across all districts. From November 20 to December 7, farmers will receive a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2300 per quintal for their paddy.

Later, from December 8, they will get the additional amount of Rs 800 after it was launched from Sohela in the Bargarh district.

Minister of Food Supply & Consumer Affairs Krushna Chandra Patro, Minister of Cooperation Pradip Bal Samant, Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, and Secretary Rajesh Pravakar Patil also attended the high-level meeting.