Pradeep Purohit Urges Centre to Expedite Paddy and CMR Lifting in Odisha

New Delhi: Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit has urged Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to take immediate steps to speed up the lifting of paddy and Custom Milled Rice (CMR) in Odisha, highlighting the difficulties faced by farmers and rice millers ahead of the upcoming procurement season.

In a letter dated October 24, 2026, Purohit pointed out that delays in rice lifting due to excess stocks in warehouses and coordination issues between the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and rice millers have created a serious storage crisis across the state.

Citing figures from Bargarh district under the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26, he stated that against a rice procurement target of 52,33,442 quintals, only 24,47,858 quintals had been delivered as of October 22. Around 26,30,415 quintals of rice were still awaiting lifting, while the average CMR delivery stood at 50.42%.

He further noted that CMR delivery under the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2026 had not yet begun, while the next Kharif paddy procurement season is scheduled to start on November 17. The delay could leave rice millers with insufficient warehouse space to store newly procured paddy.

According to the MP, Odisha recorded total paddy procurement of 1,35,15,740.90 quintals under KMS 2025-26, against which 91,84,905.25 quintals of CMR were payable. However, approximately 65,51,233.15 quintals of CMR remained pending with millers.

Purohit has requested the Union Minister to direct FCI to complete the lifting of pending rice stocks in Bargarh and across Odisha within a week. He also called for priority clearance of existing stocks before November 17 to ensure adequate storage capacity for the new procurement season.

Emphasising the need for a permanent solution, the MP said timely intervention was essential to protect farmers from financial hardship, prevent procurement disruptions and ensure smooth operations during the upcoming paddy procurement season.