Odisha Minister Denies Complications In Paddy Procurement Registration

Bhubaneswar: Odisha supply minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Sunday dismissed allegations of complications in the registration of farmers for paddy procurement, asserting that the state government has not made the Agristack ID mandatory for registration and that no farmer would be denied the opportunity to sell paddy to government agencies.

The clarification came amid concerns raised over the registration process, particularly the requirement of an Agristack ID, also known as the Farmer Registration ID, before farmers can obtain tokens for paddy procurement.

Mr Patra said farmers without an Agristack ID could also complete the registration process and obtain the identification number subsequently. He maintained that the government had deliberately kept the registration process simple to ensure that farmers, including sharecroppers, did not face difficulties in selling their produce during the forthcoming procurement season.

According to the minister, 5,093 farmers had registered across Odisha as of August 9, of whom 3,108 already possessed Agristack IDs.

“There are no complications in the paddy procurement process. A total of 5,093 farmers have registered across the state till August 9. Of them, 3,108 have an Agristack ID. We have not made the Agristack ID compulsory. A farmer can register even without this ID. There is no complication for sharecroppers either,” Mr Patra said.

The minister, however, clarified that the Agristack ID issued by the agriculture department would be required at a subsequent stage for the collection of the paddy token. Farmers who do not possess the ID can get it generated at the registration centre itself, he said.

For issuance of the Agristack ID, farmers are required to submit the Record of Rights (ROR) relating to their agricultural land. The identification number, according to the minister, would ordinarily be issued within two days after submission of the necessary land records.

The government’s position assumes significance as paddy procurement remains one of the most important components of Odisha’s agricultural economy, with lakhs of farmers depending on the state’s procurement system for assured marketing of their kharif crop.

Mr Patra said the government was committed to procuring paddy from all eligible farmers and would not allow procedural issues to come in the way of procurement.

He also sought to allay concerns among sharecroppers, who often face difficulties in accessing formal procurement mechanisms because they cultivate land owned by others. The minister said sharecroppers could register by furnishing the documents prescribed by the government and would not be excluded from the procurement system.

The minister cited the scale of the state’s procurement operations to underline the government’s preparedness. During the last Kharif season, Odisha procured around 78 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, while another 20 lakh metric tonnes was procured during the Rabi season.

The government’s emphasis on registration and farmer identification comes against the backdrop of efforts to make agricultural procurement more transparent and digitally traceable. The Agristack framework is intended to create a digital identity for farmers and facilitate the integration of agricultural records and services.

However, the minister made it clear that the digital identification requirement should not become a barrier for farmers seeking to register for paddy procurement