Govt's paddy buying rises 18.8 pc so far, highest bought from Punjab

New Delhi, November 27

The government's kharif paddy procurement jumps 18.78 per cent to 310.61 lakh tonnes so far this year, with over 65 per cent been purchased from Punjab alone, according to the Union Food Ministry.

About Rs 58,644.65 crore worth of paddy has been purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from about 28.45 lakh farmers so far, it said in a statement.

Paddy procurement commenced in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states from October 1.

More than 80 per cent of the country's paddy crop is grown in the kharif season. The government through Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertakes procurement of paddy at the minimum support price (MSP).

According to the ministry, about 310.61 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured up to November 26, against 261.48 lakh tonne in the year-ago period.

"Out of the total purchase of 310.61 lakh tonne, Punjab alone has contributed 202.65 lakh tonne, which is 65.24 per cent of the total procurement," it noted.

For the current year, the Centre has fixed the MSP of paddy (common grade) at Rs 1,868 per quintal, while that of A-grade variety has been fixed at Rs 1,888 per quintal.

According to the ministry, MSP procurement of paddy in this kharif 2020-21 marketing season is "continuing smoothly" in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

In the case of cotton, state-run Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has procured 26.62 lakh bales worth Rs 7,864.10 crore from 5,37,156 farmers till November 26.

Cotton buying under the MSP is going on smoothly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and Karnataka.

Besides, the government through nodal agencies is buying pulses and oilseeds at MSP under the price support scheme (PSS), which gets operationalised when market rates fall below the support price.

Till November 26, about 90,815.60 tonne of moong, urad, groundnut pods and soyabean has been procured at MSP value of Rs 489.87 crore from 34,149 farmers in Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The Centre has given nod for procurement of 45.24 lakh tonne of kharif pulses and oilseeds this year under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) to 10 states as well as 1.23 tonne of Copra in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Approval for other states will be given on receipt of proposals for procurement as per PSS norms, the ministry added. PTI