Efforts to ensure adequate arrangements for purchase of paddy in Punjab
15-Oct-2024 03:01 PM
New Delhi. The Union Ministry of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution has said that during the current Kharif marketing season in Punjab, adequate arrangements have been ensured for the purchase of paddy from the millers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which includes online registration of farmers, integration of land records (documents), digital purchase campaign and online transfer of MSP payment etc.
A meeting has also been held between the Union Food Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab to discuss various issues in this regard.
The new marketing season for paddy procurement in Punjab has started from October 1, but due to its slow pace, the farmers are very worried and angry.
According to the Food Ministry, during the marketing season of 2023-24, 124.14 lakh tonnes of rice was purchased in Punjab, which was equal to the target set.
During the current marketing season of 2024-25, the Government of India has already approved the proposal to procure 124 lakh tonnes of rice there, which is equivalent to 185 lakh tonnes of paddy. The Central Government is regularly procuring paddy rice from Punjab and there is no restriction or control on it.
More than 2200 procurement centers have been started for the purchase of paddy this year in Punjab, the state which contributes the most rice to the central pool.
According to the data received, till October 13, a total of about 7 lakh tonnes of paddy was supplied to the mandis of the state, out of which about 6 lakh tonnes were procured for the central pool. Government procurement of paddy will continue in the state till November 30, 2024.
Adequate storage arrangements have been made for the safe storage of the purchased paddy so that there is no hindrance or difficulty in the purchase of paddy.
Preparations are underway to send 40 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice stock from the warehouses of Punjab to other places by December 2024 so that storage of custom milled rice (CMR) can be ensured in it.
All necessary arrangements have already been made to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulty during the procurement process.
Apart from this, arrangements have also been made to ensure timely payment of MSP of paddy to farmers. Usually, payment is made to the bank account of farmers within 48 hours after procurement.
This time, there has been a slight increase in the area of paddy cultivation in Punjab and the weather conditions have also been quite favourable, due to which a great production of this important food grain is expected there.