FMTC Nepalgunj begins buying paddy from farmers

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Dec. 22: Food Management and Trading Company Limited (FMTC) started purchasing paddy in Banke after the farmers’ demand for purchase of paddy for a long time. 

Ramsharan Lamichhane, head of FMTC Nepalgunj, said that the company had started purchasing paddy from the farmers of all eight local levels of Banke who came with recommendations form the local levels to sell the paddy. The company is purchasing paddy at the price set by the government.

Stating that the company had received a quota for buying 25,000 quintals paddy in Banke this year, he said that it had scheduled to buy paddy from 10 farmers each day at a rate of 30 quintals from each farmer. He added that earlier only cunning farmers would get coupons to sell the paddy but this time the company had started purchasing paddy based on the identity of the real farmers. 

Lamichhane informed that they could only buy 2,300 quintals of paddy last year since large amount of paddy was wet. This time we could meet our target since the paddy production has been good this year, he added. 

Jaiwan Shahi, farmer of Janaki Rural Municipality who came to sell the paddy, informed that they had already sold some amount of paddy to a private purchaser. He said that the farmers would be benefited selling paddy at the time when they are in need of new seeds and fertilizers. He requested the government to buy the paddy on time next year.

Ramesh Maurya, a farmer of Duduwa, said that when the government delayed the procurement of paddy, the farmers were in trouble because of the middlemen. He said, "Those who were in need to buy fertilizers and seeds sold paddy at low prices in the beginning."

Earlier, Akhil Nepal Farmers Association Banke chairperson Krishna Bikram KC and Nepal Farmers Association central member Dhana Maya Luintel had submitted a memorandum asking to purchase the paddy from farmers on time to FMTC.  This year, the government has fixed the price of coarse paddy at Rs. 2,967 and medium paddy at Rs. 3,128.