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With paddy procurement for the kharif marketing season 2014-15 in Chhattisgarh finally coming to an end at midnight, about 6.2 million tonnes (MT) of paddy have been reportedly arrived in the societies across the state.
The paddy procured this year was over 20 per cent less than the paddy purchased by the Chhattisgarh in the last year. The state government had procured over 8 MT paddy in the kharif marketing season 2013-14. The policy of the BJP-led government in Chhattisgarh has been the reason for the drop. In a cost-cutting measure, the Raman Singh government had put a cap on paddy procurement in the state. The state government announced that it would purchase only 10 quintals of paddy behind every acre of land in the kharif marketing season 2014-15. After facing strong protest within the party forum and farmers, the decision was revised and government decided to procure 15 quintals per acre from the farmers.
Chhattisgarh's total paddy production was likely to touch 11.5 million tonnes this year.
Following delay in crop cycle, paddy procurement started behind the normal schedule in the state this year. The process started on December 1 while normally it had been starting on November 1. Earlier, the state government was purchasing paddy from the farmers for 120 days that was restricted to 62 days.
Farmers lined up in large number till late night as procurement came to an end on January 31. At midnight, the software used for procurement was locked that literally closed down paddy purchased in the state at minimum support price (MSP). Many farmers could not sell their produce.
Officials with state-run Marketing Federation that had been assigned the job of paddy procurement said that over 6.2 MT paddy had arrived till midnight. The figure was likely for a slight change when final figure would be compiled, they added.
