Haryana Food and Supplies Minister Karan Dev Kamboj has said that the historic decision of the government to procure PUSA-1509 variety of paddy has benefited the farmers of Haryana by Rs 350 per quintal and there has been neither any loss to the government nor any benefit to the millers on this account.
In a statement issued here today, Kamboj said that the state government had approached the Government of India to allow procurement of PUSA 1509 when it was being bought by millers at Rs 1,100 per quintal.
The Central government graciously allowed its procurement at the rate of Rs 1,450 per quintal since it is not a Basmati variety and falls in the category of Grade A variety on the basis of the length to breadth ratio of the grain being more than 2.5.
This is the reason why the procurement agencies are recording its procurement along with other similar grade of paddy varieties like PR11 and PR14.
The government has a record of how much PUSA-1509 has been procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said.
So far, 4.12 lakh tones of PUSA 1509 has arrived in the markets of the state. It was being bought by millers at about Rs 1,100 per quintal before the government decision allowing it to be procured at MSP as Grade A variety.
After the entry of procurement agencies, the rates given by millers improved leading to a direct benefit of Rs 350 per quintal to the farmers.
The total area under Basmati in the state is 12.28 lakh hectares.
With average productivity of 26 quintal per hectare, the estimated production of Basmati is over 31.9 lakh metric tonnes.
Last year, PUSA-1509 had been sown on only 10 per cent of the area under Basmati and because of the expectations of a decline in the exports of Basmati and its non-procurement by state agencies, the area under PUSA-1509 this year aggregated about 1.5 lakh hectares.
The average productivity of Basmati is 26 quintal/hectare, and of the common paddy is only 34.5 quintal/hectare, the minister said.
The wholesale price of PUSA-1509 rice is Rs 26 to Rs 28 per kg.
The government milling rate, including by-products, is Rs 180 per quintal.
The fact remains that both the Union and the state governments took extraordinary steps to come to the rescue of the hard working farmers at a time when they are facing difficult global economic conditions, Kamboj added.
