Farmers in Khantapada market area of Balasore district staged a protest over delays in paddy procurement. Frustrated by token-related problems and delays at local Primary Cooperative Societies, the farmers reportedly placed harvested paddy bags on National Highway-16, disrupting traffic and drawing attention to their difficulties in selling their produce.
The farmers said that token lapses and administrative delays had left many of them unable to bring their paddy to procurement centres as scheduled. The protest highlighted concerns over timely procurement and the need for smoother coordination between farmers, cooperative societies, and procurement authorities during the paddy-selling season.