DHANUSHA: Over the past three months, the Madhes Province Office of Food Management and Trade Company Limited in Janakpurdham has purchased 11,665 quintals of paddy from farmers in Mahottari and Dhanusha districts.
According to Nirmal Thapa, provincial head of the office, paddy worth Rs 42.324 crore was bought from 300 farmers. Purchases have now been halted as the office’s storage facilities are full. The paddy was procured at Rs 3,628.33 per quintal.
A large numbers of farmers sold their paddy due to the higher-than-market rates offered by the office, said Assistant Manager Ganga Prasad Sah. While the standard limit was 50 quintals per farmer, some farmers were allowed up to 55 quintals based on local recommendations. Payments are being sent directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
Farmers from Dhanusha’s Laxminiya Rural Municipality, Nagarain Municipality, and Mahottari’s Kshireshwornath and Balwa Municipalities were the primary sellers.
The office had initially targeted 13,000 quintals but stopped purchases early due to storage constraints. Sarla Prajapati, a quality branch officer, confirmed that all paddy undergoes quality testing and only paddy meeting standards is purchased.
Comment