By Our Correspondent
KENDRAPARA/BHUBANESWAR: Trilochan Nayak a farmer from Junagadi village under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara district allegedly died after facing prolonged harassment during the paddy procurement process. The Kendrapara Collector has ordered for an investigation into the matter. Such incidents highlight the severe challenges Odisha farmers face with crop losses, debt, delayed government procurement processes, and market exploitation.
Family members alleged that the miller took six kilograms per quintal, an additional three quintals of paddy, along with Rs 3,000 towards unloading charges. The farmer is said to have spent around Rs 18,000 to harvest and transport his crop for procurement.
According to family members, he had received a message on January 16 to sell his paddy at the mandi. However, he reportedly ran from pillar to post for nearly 40 days, repeatedly visiting the cooperative society to complete the process.
Instead of procuring the crop at the mandi, he was asked to take his paddy to a rice mill. Trilochan transported his produce to the rice mill, where he allegedly had to wait for three days without proper food or water to get it unloaded.
Already burdened with debt, Trilochan reportedly suffered a heart attack soon after returning home from the mill and died on the spot. His family has blamed the rice mill owner and the secretary of the cooperative society for negligence and harassment, holding them responsible for his death.
Farmers have repeatedly alleged delays in issuing procurement tokens, opening mandis, or millers lifting paddy, forcing distress sales below the government-fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP).
For example, in December 2025, reports highlighted farmers in Kendrapara selling below MSP (around Rs 3,100/quintal including state bonus) due to these delays.
There have been protests in areas like Rajnagar block over delayed tokens, leading to risks of crop damage and exploitation by external traders. In February 2026, farmers protested millers refusing to lift paddy citing arbitrary quality issues.
Opposition leaders Naveen Patnaik have written to the CM highlighting token failures, payment delays (DBT), and unfair deductions (“katni-chhatni”), forcing below-MSP sales.
While paddy procurement delays and farmer distress (including forced low-price sales) are well-documented in Kendrapara recently, most earlier reported farmer deaths in the district 2024-2025 were linked to crop damage from unseasonal rains causing heart attacks or suicides.
