“When Numbers Betray Narratives: Inside Odisha’s Paddy Procurement Crisis”

Описание: When Data Speaks Louder Than Promises: Odisha’s Paddy Procurement Paradox

In recent weeks, the Odisha government has projected confidence around its paddy procurement programme, citing increased farmer registrations, expanded acreage and a ₹800 per quintal bonus. On the surface, the narrative appears encouraging. But a closer reading of official data reveals a troubling disconnect between policy announcements and what is actually happening on the ground.

At the heart of this contradiction lies a simple question: If procurement systems are improving, why are fewer farmers able to sell their paddy?

According to official statements, farmer registrations rose from 17.5 lakh last year to 19.68 lakh this year. The registered cultivation area increased from 58 lakh acres to 61.67 lakh acres. Token issuance — often cited as evidence of administrative efficiency — more than doubled, from 4.07 lakh to 9.41 lakh. On paper, these figures suggest progress.

But procurement data tells a very different story.

As of December 24, 2025, Odisha had procured only 3.89 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, compared to 6.99 lakh metric tonnes during the same period last year. That is a decline of nearly 44 per cent. In contrast, neighbouring Chhattisgarh — operating under the same minimum support price regime and offering the same ₹800 bonus — procured 52.54 lakh metric tonnes, only marginally lower than last year’s 53.76 lakh MT.

This divergence is not marginal; it is structural.

The data raises an uncomfortable question: How can registrations and token issuance rise sharply while procurement collapses? The answer lies in the difference between administrative output and operational delivery.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Bargarh, long considered Odisha’s rice bowl. Procurement in the district has fallen from over 3.55 lakh metric tonnes in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to just 1.5 lakh metric tonnes this year — a decline of more than 50 per cent in two seasons. Similar patterns are visible across districts such as Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Jagatsinghpur, where procurement remains negligible despite registrations.

The numbers further underline the disconnect. As of December 24:

19.67 lakh farmers were registered

10.96 lakh were verified

Only 87,589 farmers actually sold paddy


That means fewer than one in ten registered farmers has been able to sell their produce.

This gap suggests that the problem is not farmer participation but system performance. Registration has become a procedural success, while procurement — the real test — has faltered. Delayed lifting, limited milling capacity, administrative bottlenecks and weak coordination between agencies appear to have undermined the system.

In contrast, Chhattisgarh’s experience demonstrates that procurement efficiency is not an abstract ideal. Under the same national framework, it has maintained consistency, ensured timely lifting, and preserved farmer confidence. The difference lies not in policy design, but in execution.

The political messaging around the ₹800 bonus further exposes this gap. A bonus has value only when procurement is assured. Without it, the announcement risks becoming symbolic — a headline without substance. For farmers standing in mandis with unsold paddy, the promise of incentives rings hollow.

Paddy procurement is not merely a welfare exercise. It is a foundation of rural stability, income security and trust in public institutions. When that system falters, the impact goes far beyond numbers on a dashboard.

Odisha’s challenge, therefore, is not to announce more schemes, but to restore credibility to its procurement machinery. Data, when read carefully, is already sending a warning. Ignoring it risks turning administrative optimism into institutional failure.