MALKANGIRI: The Malkangiri administration will buy around 8 lakh quintal paddy from farmers during kharif procurement that begins from November 15.
For the first time, a women SHG in MV-45 has been roped in by the administration to procure paddy from farmers through Chalanguda procurement centre. Secretary of Food Supplies Department VV Yadav, during his visit to MV-45 on Tuesday, met members of the SHG and asked them not to involve any male members of the village in the procurement process.
While 62 procurement centres or mandis would be opened across the district, the administration is considering opening another one depending on the paddy yield. Around 30,000 farmers have registered online to sell their paddy and procurement would be done by large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) apart from the SHG, said Sub-Collector Rameswar Pradhan.
The minimum support price (MSP) of fair average quality paddy has been fixed at Rs 1815 per quintal and the money will be transferred to farmers’ accounts within 24 to 48 hours. The district is likely to produce 22 lakh quintal paddy this kharif marketing season against 19 lakh quintal production last year. On Monday, the Food Supplies Secretary had warned there would be zero tolerance on irregularities in paddy procurement. He held a meeting with millers and warned them of stringent action if they did not lift paddy from mandis immediately after procurement.
In the last kharif marketing season, farmers’ leaders had alleged that the paddy growers in the district incurred losses due to the nexus between unscrupulous officials of the civil supplies department and millers. Most of the millers had stored excess paddy procured illegally from the mandis.