386 Tonnes of Paddy Worth ₹42 Lakh Damaged in Madhya Pradesh Agricultural Losses

Nearly 386 tonnes of paddy worth Rs 42 lakh were damaged due to rain in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. The paddy was bought on minimum support price three years ago, but was not kept in proper storage. The unavailability of warehouse storage meant the paddy had to be kept outside in the open, leading it to become wet due to rainfall. Although efforts were being made to keep the paddy preserved in sacks and send it to millers, its quality was severely compromised due to the damage incurred. The negligence of warehouse officials had rendered the paddy unusable, even as fodder. Numerous attempts were made to sell the damaged paddy through auction; yet, despite a willingness from an Haryana-based firm, the RK Industries, to purchase for Rs 1,152 a quintal, they subsequently refused due to the damaged quality of the paddy. Officials decided to sell the damaged paddy for Rs 1,000 per quintal. Balaghat is the district with the highest paddy yield in all of Madhya Pradesh where the government procure 40,000 metric tonnes of paddy on minimum support prices annually; yet, the lack of adequate storage and facility means that the paddy is kept in the open and often damaged by adverse weather conditions, such as rain, storm, and sunlight.