November 3: Farmers of Kailali are currently busy harvesting paddy this season. Many of them have already completed harvesting and have stored the required grains. They have already started selling excess of paddy produced this season. However, the farmers are forced to sell paddy at low price because the government is “yet to fix” the minimum support price of paddy this year even though the harvesting season is almost over.

This has forced the farmers to sell paddy at throw-away prices. Chhitra Bahadur Chaudhary, a farmer from Kailali, informed that they had no option but to sell paddy at scrap value because the government did not fix the minimum support price on time.

“We are selling paddy at throw-away prices because the minimum support price has not been fixed yet,” said Chaudhary.

“We need to sell the paddy so that we can purchase the seeds, fertilizer and ploughing charge required for the winter crop. Therefore, we need to sell the paddy as soon as we finish harvesting,” he added.

The local businessmen are purchasing paddy at the rare of Rs 2200 to Rs 2300 per quintal.

Businessman Navin Shrestha insists that they are buying paddy at the aforementioned prices because the government has not yet fixed the minimum support price and that the paddy has not dried yet.

The minimum support price is implemented only after the Provincial Offices of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited (FMTCL) receives a circular in this regard after the Council of Minister fixes the support price. Angela Basnet, chief of the Dhangadhi-based Far Western Province Office of the FMTCL, said that they have not received any such circular so far this year.

“The minimum support price has not been fixed yet,” said Basnet, adding, “We will set up a purchase depot once the minimum support price is fixed by the government.”

She said that the local businessmen are purchasing paddy on their own at the moment.

The production of paddy in Far Western Province is expected to decline this year due to the recent floods.