CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday ordered an additional incentive for paddy procurement, following which revision, from September 1, farmers will receive Rs 2,450 per quintal for Grade-A paddy and Rs 2,405 per quintal for the common variety. The incentive has been increased from Rs 107 to Rs 130 for the Grade-A variety and from Rs 82 to Rs 105 for the common one.
The price revision follows the union government’s move last week, marginally increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops for Marketing season 2024-2025 -- setting the MSP at Rs 2,320 and Rs 2,300 for Grade-A and common varieties respectively.
A state government official said the chief minister has ordered to provide Rs 2,500 per quintal for Grade-A paddy for the Marketing season 2025-2026.
During 2023-2024, a total of 3,175 direct procurement centres were opened across the state.
As of June 25, as much as 29.91 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured from 3.72 lakh farmers, and Rs 6,442.8 crore disbursed, stated a press note.
In 2022-2023, the state increased the incentive for Grade-A paddy from Rs 25 to Rs 100 per quintal and for the common variety from Rs 25 to Rs 75 per quintal.
Meanwhile, members of various farmers’ associations from the delta region and other districts met Chief Minister MK Stalin and thanked him for raising the incentive for paddy procurement and also for various other schemes being implemented for farmers’ welfare by the government.