Govt agencies to procure over 700 lakh MT paddy

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 7

The government is expected to procure around 738-lakh-metric-tonne (LMT) paddy at the cost Rs 1.40 lakh crore in the ongoing kharif marketing season, officials said today.

So far, 23 per cent more paddy than last year has been procured at the MSP. As on October 6, as much as 15.26 LMT paddy has been procured against 12.38 LMT last year, an increase of 23 per cent. While 10.08 LMT has been procured from Punjab, it is 4.92 LMT in Haryana, according to official figures.

Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said, “The kharif procurement started early this year on September 26 instead of October 1 because of early arrival of garin in the market. Last year, 627 LMT paddy was procured. This year, it is estimated to be 738 LMT, 18 per cent more. The number of paddy procurement centres has also been increased to 39,130 (28 per cent more than that of last year) to facilitate farmers. This year, around Rs 1.4 lakh crore will be transferred to farmers in kharif season against the last year’s Rs 1.15 lakh crore, an increase of 21 per cent.”

This is the first procurement season after the Centre enacted the three agriculture Acts.