Paddy procurement begins, target set to purchase 16 million tonnes

Paddy procurement at minimum support price (MSP) has started in Chhattisgarh, with the state government setting a target to purchase 16 million tonnes (mt) yield from the farmers in the kharif marketing season 2024-25.

 

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the state-wide paddy procurement event from a centre in Balod district. The state government has termed it as Mahaparva (mega festival) that will continue till January 31, 2025.

 

On the first day of procurement on Thursday, about 55,000 tonnes of paddy was purchased from the farmers in different districts across the state, a spokesperson of the agriculture department said.

   

The procurement process resumed on Monday after three days of holiday, he said, adding that no procurement will be done during the holidays. 

 

In all, 14,562 farmers sold their paddy on the first day, though a total of 24,748 tokens were issued for the day.

 

Under the process, the farmers willing to sell their produce had to first take the token online. It was necessitated for smooth business and to avoid rush at the procurement centres. The token application process started on November seven. Small and marginal farmers will be eligible for a maximum of two tokens and large farmers for three tokens.

 

The state-run marketing federation (MARKFED), which is the nodal agency for the procurement, has set up 2,739 procurement centres across the state. The number of farmers registered in the state for the current kharif season is 276,800. This year, 142,000 new farmers have been enrolled, while 136,263 hectares of new land have been registered.

 

The spokesperson said the federation had made all necessary arrangements as the paddy flow was likely to accelerate from the week after the three-day pause.

 

Acquisition through biometric devices and electronic counters for weighing has been arranged in all procurement centres. The state government has given instructions to pick up the paddy from the procurement centres through the miller and the transporter within the time frame so as to avoid stocking.

 

The state's Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel said sufficient funds had been earmarked for paddy procurement. The amount will be transferred to the bank account of the farmers within 72 hours of the sale of paddy, he added.  

 

The state government had purchased over 14.5 mt paddy from the farmers in the last kharif marketing season, buying at a rate of ~3,100 per quintal of yield. The difference of the amount after paying the MSP will be credited as input subsidy.