Agartala, 23rd August 2026 : Government-backed paddy procurement began at the Sonamura Agri Market on Saturday and is scheduled to continue for two days. Farmers from different parts of the area arrived at the market with their harvested paddy to sell it under the procurement process.
However, tension arose after officials assessed the quality of the paddy and proposed deducting a certain percentage from the quantity brought by farmers.
The farmers objected to the proposed deduction, saying that if five per cent of the paddy was rejected, they would suffer financial losses. They argued that the percentage to be deducted should have been communicated to them beforehand so that they could make an informed decision before bringing their produce to the market.
Food In-charge Raj Malson said the deduction was being made after assessing the quality of the paddy. He claimed that due to poor yield in the case of big-grain varieties, such paddy is generally not procured under government schemes in several parts of the country. However, he said procurement was being carried out in Sonamura after obtaining special permission from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
As the situation became tense, Raj Malson and Agriculture Inspector Subrata Debbarma held discussions with the protesting farmers. Following a prolonged discussion, an understanding was reached regarding the procurement of the paddy.
The farmers subsequently agreed to the decision, following which the procurement process resumed.
The dispute over paddy quality and the proposed deduction was ultimately resolved through discussions. However, farmers urged the authorities to clearly communicate the quality standards and the applicable deduction percentage before they bring their produce to the market in the future.
