RAMNAGAR, 18 Oct: Harvesting of paddy of the Kharif crop is currently underway in Uttarakhand and in the rest of the country. For this Kharif season, Uttarakhand government has already begun the procurement process in full swing. A total target of 5.25 lakh tonnes of paddy has been fixed for this year, with 4.25 lakh tonnes earmarked for the Kumaon division and 0.5 lakh tonnes for the Garhwal division.
The procurement of paddy and Mandua (finger millet) have formally begun across the State from October 1. For the convenience of farmers, 625 purchase centres have been established, of which 276 are operational in the Kumaon Division. RFC Chandar Singh Martolia of the Food Department stated that registration on the e-procurement portal has been made mandatory. Payments to registered farmers will be transferred directly to their accounts within 48 to 72 hours of procurement.
Martolia shared that nearly 80 per cent of the payments have already been made to the farmers, while the procurement process continues steadily. He also shared that so far, 22 per cent of the targeted paddy procurement has been achieved. The department expects to attain the full target by 30 November. The last date for paddy procurement has been fixed as December 31.
It may be reminded here that the Government has announced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy at Rs 2,369 per quintal for the Common category and Rs 2,389 per quintal for the Grade-A category. The officials of the Food Department stated that farmers have accelerated harvesting and marketing activities after the recent improvement in weather conditions, and the sale of produce at procurement centres has become smoother.
It may be recalled that the Government has issued clear directives to the officials that there must be no delay in payments to farmers and that the procurement process should be conducted with full transparency. District-level committees have been instructed to carry out regular inspections of purchase centres. RFC Martolia emphasised that the department is making every effort to ensure that farmers receive a fair price and prompt payment. The Government aims to make this year’s paddy procurement drive completely transparent and successful in the interest of the farming community.
