Far-Western farmers compelled to sell paddy to traders at a cost three times cheaper

Dhangadhi: Due to incessant rains in the first week of Kartik, farmers in the Far-West have incurred a loss of over Rs 5 billion in paddy cultivation alone. Farmers are devestated after the flood washed away the paddy ready to be imported.

Farmers of Kailali and Kanchanpur are now in the race to sell paddy before incessant rains. But the government has ignored the price-fixing and farmers are forced to sell paddy cheaply. Farmer Kamal Chaudhary of Kailali says that he is forced to sell paddy to local traders at a much lower price than the price fixed by the government. He said, 'This year's paddy was destroyed by all the rains.

We are selling threshed paddy before the rains come. But you are not getting the same price. ' Farmers of Kailali and Kanchanpur, known as grain stores, run their daily activities by selling paddy. But the farmers are worried as the hard work and investment made during the year will not be recovered while selling paddy. Another farmer Sonuram Chaudhary says that the farmers are becoming victims due to the problem of the government fixing the price but not buying it.

He says that the traders are buying paddy at only Rs 1,200. "We are preparing to meet the festival expenses by selling what is left," he said. "Traders are saying only Rs. It would have been easier to buy food on time. ' Farmers say that they are being forced to sell paddy cheaply to meet the expenses of the festival. The government, which seems reluctant to buy paddy from farmers' fields, has been fixing the price every year.

This year too, the government has fixed the minimum price of coarse paddy at Rs 2,752 per quintal and medium paddy at Rs 2,885 per quintal. But the government body has not imposed a paddy purchase quota. Due to which farmers are forced to sell cheaply to traders. This year, the government has no plans to buy paddy directly from farmers.

Kalpana Bista, acting head of the regional office of the Food Trade Company Limited, said that no instruction has been received from the center to purchase paddy so far. She said, 'Instructions will come from the center. But it has not come yet. No decision has been made on how much to buy. Probably a purchase. '