Odisha : Unlifted rice worry for Bargarh millers ahead of kharif procurement season
Millers in Bargarh fear space shortages as kharif procurement nears, with large quantities of rice from previous seasons still unlifted and deteriorating. They raised concerns at a DLPC meeting, but no action followed. Infestation and storage constraints are causing losses, leaving millers worried about handling new paddy arrivals this season.
BARGARH : With less than a week left for kharif paddy procurement to commence, millers in Bargarh are becoming increasingly worried over the large volume of unlifted rice purchased during the previous seasons. The backlog has created severe space constraints in several mills, where the stored rice is now beginning to show signs of insect infestation.
The Bargarh rice millers’ association had flagged the issue during the recent district level procurement committee (DLPC) meeting in Bargarh. However, no concrete action has been reportedly taken in this regard, leaving the millers jittery about handling the incoming paddy and the mounting losses from deteriorating stock.
During the DLPC meeting held last week, the millers had submitted a memorandum to the administration stating that they had no space to take in new kharif paddy for 2025-26. They had also warned that prolonged storage had led the grain quality to deteriorate, causing physical damage to the rice and financial losses to millers.
Bargarh-based rice miller Jay Prakash Lath said the government is yet to lift the stock lying with the millers since the last kharif and rabi procurement seasons. “I currently have about 1.5 lakh quintal of rice in my mill from the previous kharif and rabi seasons. During inspection, I found that some of the stock has been infested with insects. Besides, I have completely run out of storage space.”
Lath said millers can accept paddy for the upcoming kharif season only if the existing rice stock is lifted by the government.
Bargarh civil supplies officer (CSO) Dibyasingh Badamali acknowledged the crisis and said around 59 lakh quintal of rice is yet to be lifted from 119 millers of the district. “We are trying to address the situation at our level before paddy procurement for the new season begins.”
However, the association members claimed that lifting of the rice stock from the previous seasons would not be over before March 2026. Hence, immediate kharif procurement would be impractical.
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Source : The New Indian Express
