Kerala farmers fume as govt delays dues over paddy procurement

Farmers in Kerala are up in arms against the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, popularly known as ‘Supplyco’, over the delay in disbursing the dues of around Rs 700 crore for the paddy procured from them.

A demonstration staged by Congress workers in support of the farmers in Alappuzha on Wednesday culminated in clashes with police. Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh who led the protest march sustained minor injuries in the tussle with the policemen.

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According to farmers, even though paddy worth around Rs 1,650 crore was procured nearly four months back, Rs 700 crore was still outstanding. As a result, many farmers are going through a dire financial crisis.

Suresh said that many farmers are in debt traps owing to the delay on the part of the government in paying the dues. “The government should give priority to settling the dues of farmers rather than finding money for foreign trips and other expenses of the Chief Minister and ministers. If the situation continues, many farmers would be forced to quit cultivation owing to the financial crunch they face,” he said.

Government sources said that the SupplyCo had entered into an agreement with a consortium of banks including the State Bank of India for paying off the dues of the farmers and the process was in progress.

But the fact is that the farmers have already suffered huge financial losses due to crop loss caused by untimely or unseasonal rains. Many farmers were even forced to take the drastic step of ending their lives due to extreme financial stress.