Following a series of talks involving government officials, millers, and farmers, paddy procurement in Odisha's Bargarh district started on Wednesday, following days of disruption.
724.79 quintals of paddy were lifted from the Tora, Kalapani, Godabhaga, Gudesira, and Atabira mandis as procurement through the P-PAS system resumed. Out of this, 265 quintals were lifted from Kalapani mandi and 94 quintals from Godabhaga mandi.
By starting the ritual of breaking the coconut, the Sub-Collector formally started the procedure. Although mandis in the district had opened on November 28, procurement did not commence, leading to unhappiness among farmers. Farmers' local concerns and unresolved issues between millers and the government were blamed for the delay.

The scenario prompted the Joint Farmers’ Organisation to convene a meeting in Kalapani mandi on Tuesday, when participants discussed difficulties related to mandi management and token distribution.
Officials, such as the Cooperative Officer and the Sub-Collector, reportedly had lengthy conversations with farmers to resolve their concerns. Paddy lifting started from the mandis, indicating the conclusion of the impasse, after the administration provided written assurances on important demands. Officials Respond to Farmers’ Concerns
According to Bargarh Sub-Collector Prasanna Pande, "their issues fall into two categories—local and State-level." We told them that in order to properly resolve the State-level issues, the District Collector will report them to the government.

Both the DRCS and I have provided them with written assurances regarding the local problem, which is their demand that paddy be lifted within 48 hours. Members of PACS and the RMC will perform the quality checks on the paddy; millers' agents will not be allowed to do so.
He further said, “Another one of their demands was that paddy procurement be conducted through the online system, and we discussed this in detail. We also spoke about ensuring that the procurement process is handled smoothly in future.”
Farmers Outline Their Position
"We held our protest over five demands," stated farmer Ramesh Mohapatra. The Sub-Collector and the DRCS met us and assured that the concerns within their control would be rectified, and those beyond their jurisdiction would be submitted to top officials.”
“From today, the P-PAS system will be enforced, and procurement will be carried out in the same manner as last year. If this procedure is implemented effectively, we will sell our paddy; otherwise, we will stage a protest again,” he added..