Banke. Farmers here have been compelled to sell paddy to traders at a cheaper rate to celebrate the upcoming festivals.

The Food Management and Trading Company Limited has fixed the price of coarse paddy at Rs 3,660 per quintal and medium paddy at Rs 3,860 per quintal this year. However, traders are buying paddy at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 cheaper than the price fixed by the company, said Dhruba Thapa, a farmer of Suiyagaun in Nepalgunj-19.

“The paddy production has been good this year and there is no place to store it until the time of the purchase of paddy”, he said, adding, “Farmers have to sell paddy to traders at a lower price this time as it is difficult to manage the expenses of the festivals.” ”

He said that although the Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) purchases paddy at a high rate, it is delayed and the procurement process is cumbersome.

Last year, the company had fixed Rs 3,463 for coarse paddy and Rs 3,628 for medium paddy. The company’s main branch office in Nepalgunj had purchased paddy with a quota of 20,000 quintals last year, but this year the quota has not been fixed so far.

Gehendra Dhital, a farmer of Khajura Rural Municipality-2, said that farmers are compelled to sell paddy at a lower price as the Food Management and Trading Company Limited and local cooperatives have not started purchasing paddy. He said that even though the government has fixed the support price of paddy, the traders have kept the price as per their wishes. Most of the farmers in Banke have already brought paddy to their homes before Dashain.

“There is no preparation for the company to buy paddy on time, traders are buying paddy at a cheaper price in the market,” said Dhital, adding, “We are compelled to sell the paddy at a loss due to the hard work of the year.” He said that most of the middle and low-level farmers are compelled to sell their newly brought paddy and sell it at a cheap price to raise money for the festival.

Ram Sharan Lamichhane, chief of Food Management and Trade Company Limited Nepalgunj, said that although the price of paddy has been determined by the center, the procurement quota has not been fixed yet. He said that the procurement will start as soon as the letter of the quota is fixed from the center.