PACS and SHGs Compete with One Another for Paddy Procurement in Nizamabad
Meanwhile, due to the changes in weather conditions and a series of holidays, paddy procurement was delayed in some centres. It is likely to pick up pace in the district by next week.
Nizamabad: The primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and women self-help groups (SHG) are in a competitive mode to procure paddy from farmers. For the first time, the state government has decided to allot paddy purchasing centres in equal numbers to both groups. District rural development, civil supplies and other departments are coordinating the procurement of paddy to ensure minimum support price (MSP) to all farmers.
Around 700 paddy purchasing centres are proposed in Nizamabad district to procure yasangi (rabi) season paddy from farmers. Usually, farmers sell their produce to the middlemen in agriculture fields. On the pretext of moisture content and foreign bodies in paddy and immediate payment of cash, the middlemen have been duping farmers.
Towards this, government agencies were roped in to procure paddy from farmers while ensuring MSP. PACS has played a key role in paddy procurement. There are serious charges of high-level irregularities in paddy procurement by some PACS members and staff in several societies.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy initiated steps to involve women SHGs in paddy procurement for transparency, and assured financial benefits to farmers and poor women members of SHGs.
District collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu took the initiative to set up PPCs across the district for early procurement of paddy and payments into the bank accounts of farmers. He also directed officials to conduct training programmes for women SHGs on achieving a successful paddy procurement process.
Meanwhile, due to the changes in weather conditions and a series of holidays, paddy procurement was delayed in some centres. It is likely to pick up pace in the district by next week.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, district rural development officer Saya Goud said that they have already started 149 paddy purchasing centres in the district. They will have infrastructure like weighing, moisture machines and tabs provided to SHGs by agriculture market committees and societies for a hassle-free for paddy procurement.
District civil supply officer T. Arvind Reddy said that they had procured 21,000 metric tonnes of paddy so far in Nizamabad district. Both PACS and SHGs will gradually procure paddy in the district, he said. Reddy pointed out that earlier only 60 SHGs were involved in paddy procurement. Today, the figure stands at an impressive 350.
Amdapur PACS chairman Girdavar Gangareddy said that the state government should not ignore societies in the paddy procurement process.
Many PACS have constructed godowns by taking loans from NABARD and other agencies. “Without income, we are unable to repay the loans”, he said. The district administration should initiate action against errant PACS and support the genuine ones, he said.