Listed seed growers decry delay in release of input assistance

WITH no firm commitment from the state government for grant of input subsidy to farmers supplying certified seeds to the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), seed growers are seriously contemplating to dispose of their stock in the open market.

- Bijoy Pradhan @Bhubaneswar

Even as OSSC has procured about one lakh quintal of certified seeds from farmers registered with it for the next kharif season, none of the farmers have received input subsidy of ₹800 per quintal over and above the seed price of ₹2,921 per quintal.

"The state government has announced to extend the benefit of input subsidy to registered seed-growing farmers. The seed pricing committee of the state has fixed the price of long duration paddy seed varieties over 10 years old at ₹2,921 per quintal.

Some of the farmers have received partial payment but the corporation says it has not received any communication from the government about payment of input subsidy," said Ganesh Nayak, a farmer of Ganjam district.