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Mysuru district authorities have begun to put in place measures to procure ragi, jowar, paddy and maize from farmers under the support price scheme.
While purchases of ragi and jowar have been taken up as already decided, instructions from the government were awaited for procuring paddy. Purchase centres for paddy in the district have been asked to be prepared to launch the process immediately after the government’s green signal.
Reviewing the implementation of the 2014-15 price support scheme in the district here on Monday and presided by Deputy Commissioner C Shikha, it was decided to purchase hybrid maize across all the seven centres from December 22 onwards. All the eight purchase centres in seven taluks open for 2014-15 year were asked to be prepared to begin purchasing paddy immediately after government’s nod.
The centres were also asked to provide necessary infrastructure for paddy purchase, be ready for daily purchase and purchase without delay if the grains brought by the farmers met the requisite quality standards.
The State Warehousing Corporation was directed to provide the necessary warehousing facility for storing the grains purchased during the season. The Food Department officials were told to monitor the implementation of the programme every day.
Farmers were told they could immediately begin selling ragi and jowar at the purchase centres and maize from December 22.
The state government has released order for paddy hulling of 357,347 tonnes procured in the district in 2013-14 by 94 rice mills. However, only 22 mills had begun hulling while 72 had not lifted the stocks even after the set date.
Against this background, the meeting observed that the mill owners were delaying hulling of the stocks allocated to them for the past two months. Since the support scheme for the current monsoon is to be implemented, there was a need for warehouses to stock paddy. The rice mill owners, who also took part in the meeting, were warned to lift the paddy stocks by immediately drawing agreements.
Otherwise, action would be taken against them under the Karnataka Rice Milling Regulation and Procurement Order, 1999 and Essential Commodities Act, 1995. Rice mill owners had been cautioned that orders had been issued to all sub-divisional officers and taluk officers in this regard.
