Most of the cooperative societies Tihidi block of Bhadrak district have failed to achieve the paddy procurement target as desperate farmers have already sold their produce to traders. Farmers in the block had faced back-to-back disasters in the form of pest onslaught and unseasonal rains. The double whammy severely affected paddy harvest. After losing their crop to unseasonal rain and pest attack, farmers desperately harvested the leftover paddy. That was in November last year, but procurement centres had not opened then. Cashing in on the situation, traders from other states purchased paddy from farmers, especially the marginal ones. The farmers had to meet their daily expenses and were desperate to sell their paddy even at throwaway prices. After December 15, the government started paddy procurement. But many farmers were upset over hiccups in registration process and certain restrictions on sale of paddy. In the current season, the government is procuring paddy through 16 cooperative societies. After two months, the societies have collected only 91, 478 quintals of paddy. Bamanabinda society has procured the highest 14,403 quintals of paddy while Mangalpur society recorded the lowest procurement at 1,563 quintals.