Tension prevailed at the Sonamura Agri Market under Sepahijala district on Sunday after farmers objected to the alleged deduction of five per cent of their paddy during the government procurement process.
The government-backed paddy procurement process began at the Sonamura Agri Market on Sunday and is scheduled to continue for two days. Farmers from different parts of the area arrived at the market with their produce.
However, a dispute arose after the quality of the paddy was assessed and a certain percentage was proposed to be deducted. The farmers alleged that a five per cent deduction would cause them financial losses.
The farmers also claimed that they should have been informed in advance about the percentage of paddy that would be deducted. According to them, prior information would have allowed them to make an informed decision before bringing their produce to the market.
Food In-charge Raj Malson, however, said that the deduction was made after assessing the quality of the paddy. He stated that due to poor yields of coarse-grain paddy, such varieties are generally not procured under government procurement programmes in several parts of the country.
He further said that paddy procurement in Sonamura was being carried out after obtaining special permission from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
As the situation became tense, Food In-charge Raj Malson and Agriculture Inspector Subrata Debbarma held discussions with the protesting farmers. Following prolonged deliberations, an understanding was reached regarding the procurement process.
The farmers subsequently agreed to the decision, following which the paddy procurement process resumed.
The dispute over paddy quality assessment and the percentage of deduction was ultimately resolved through discussions. However, the farmers demanded that the quality standards and applicable deduction percentage be clearly communicated before they bring their produce to the market in the future.