The government’s procurement of paddy for the current Kharif marketing season has seen a notable increase, reaching 340.35 lakh tonnes as of December 9, 2024. This is an improvement of 6.81 lakh tonnes compared to 333.54 lakh tonnes during the same period in 2023. The procurement process is ongoing, with a continued push in major producing states.

Notable increases in paddy procurement have been reported in several states, including:

• Andhra Pradesh: From 5.74 lakh tonnes to 13.61 lakh tonnes
• Chhattisgarh: From 21.20 lakh tonnes to 34.49 lakh tonnes
• Telangana: From 29.82 lakh tonnes to 31.39 lakh tonnes
• Uttarakhand: From 4.51 lakh tonnes to 5.33 lakh tonnes
• Uttar Pradesh: From 16.50 lakh tonnes to 18.87 lakh tonnes
• Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir also saw improvements in procurement figures.

In contrast, procurement has decreased in states such as:

• Punjab: From 185.27 lakh tonnes to 172.27 lakh tonnes
• Haryana: From 58.93 lakh tonnes to 53.92 lakh tonnes
• Bihar: From 1.83 lakh tonnes to 1.68 lakh tonnes
• Odisha: From 2.09 lakh tonnes to 93 thousand tonnes
• Kerala: From 75 thousand tonnes to 51 thousand tonnes
• Tamil Nadu: From 5.45 lakh tonnes to 5.22 lakh tonnes

However, the government has made significant strides in areas like Maharashtra, where paddy procurement, which did not take place last year, has reached over 92 thousand tonnes this time. Despite reductions in some states, the overall national procurement is projected to be supported by gains in other regions, especially in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, where procurement numbers are up. The procurement process is expected to continue through December and January.