Odisha farmers slam govt on use of grain analysers in paddy purchase

SAMBALPUR: Paddy procurement continued to be mired in controversy with farmers’ outfit Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) raising concerns about the state government’s decision to introduce grain analysers in the purchase process.

Addressing mediapersons, the farmers’ body on Thursday questioned the reliability of the machines and alleged their use would lead to further exploitation of farmers. Pointing out that grain analyser machines were not being used in other states, the POKSSS members wondered why the system was introduced in Odisha.

The state government introduced the grain analyser machines in the kharif paddy procurement process to measure parameters like moisture content, presence of foreign particles and grain quality. However, POKSSS members claimed the machines are not only unreliable but also impractical given the state’s procurement infrastructure.