RAYAGADA: Paddy procurement in the ongoing kharif crop season will begin in Rayagada from December 5. This was decided at the district level procurement committee meeting for the Kharif Marketing Season 2018-19, chaired by Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar on Tuesday. Paddy will be procured through 37 market yards and paddy procurement centres.
A target has been set by the Agriculture Department to procure 1,55,333 tonne of paddy. Sources said facilities for weighing paddy, storage space, mini grader, moisture measuring meters, analysis kit, polythene sheets will be made in the market yards and sitting arrangement and drinking water provisions will be made for farmers by the Regulated Marketing Committees (RMCs) of Rayagada and Gunupur.
So far, 12,720 registered farmers of Kharif Marketing Season 2017-18 have renewed their registration and 3,235 new farmers have registered this time for selling paddy.
A prachar rath (awareness chariot) will move round Gunupur and Rayagada to create awareness among farmers to register for procurement. Civil Supply Officer Purusotam Lenka said it has been targeted to register 21,000 farmers for paddy procurement in the current Kharif marketing season.