Kailali.  Swaroop Chaudhary from Ghodaghodi Municipality-3 here went to Bhajani to sell paddy early on Saturday morning. After the government started buying paddy by fixing the support price of paddy, the sub-centre of the Food Management and Trade Company, Bhajani Godown, did not get his turn that day. It took him four days to sell the paddy.  

Rajkumar Chaudhary of Bhajani-4 of the district took four days to sell paddy. Farmers are excited about the hope of being able to sell rice at the price set by the government. But the excitement is turning into disappointment when the purchase process is delayed and the queue is long. Some farmers have to wait from morning to evening and return home without being able to sell their paddy. How many stay in front of the center all night, so that they can sell their paddy in the first shift the next day.

He has not returned home for three days. Bishnu Choudhary, a horse farmer, says, "Selling paddy has never been so sad. It is not your turn to stand in line from morning till night. At night, you have to stay like this to protect the dalaf and paddy." Many farmers like him are now standing in line day and night to sell paddy at government procurement centers. This year, the government has fixed the price of coarse paddy at 3,463 per quintal. Farmers are queuing up at the center hoping to sell at the government price as the traders are buying at a low price in the market. 

In the district, a notice was issued to purchase paddy from November 11th. Bhim Bahadur Budha, an employee of the Bhajani procurement sub-centre, says that due to the weather, they have started buying paddy from 16th November. He said that paddy is being purchased at the rate of 50 quintal per farmer. According to Budha, the main reason for the delay in the purchase is the lack of infrastructure. He says, "Only one section is in operation for the purchase of paddy. Considering the problems of the farmers, we are preparing to add another section in coordination with the municipality." 

Most of the land of Kailali district lies in Terai, where the main source of income is rice and other crops. Farmers here work hard all year round on this crop. For those who sweat in the fields, selling rice is not just a business, it is the basis of their family's livelihood. But they are in trouble because they don't get time to sell rice.