Bhubaneswar, Jan. 6 -- Farmers in the Dharakote area of Odisha's Ganjam district are facing severe hardship due to delays in the issuance of tokens for paddy procurement, forcing them to guard their harvested crops through cold winter nights. Although the local procurement mandi opened on December 23, the absence of tokens has stalled procurement, leaving large quantities of paddy stranded at threshing yards.

With no immediate mechanism to transport their produce to procurement centres, farmers are compelled to keep their harvest in the open. Fearing damage and losses, many cultivators are spending nights in the fields, braving cold weather and dew to protect their year-long effort.

As winter conditions intensify, farmers are maintainin...