BHUBANESWAR: Expecting a bumper harvest of paddy, the State government has set an ambitious target to procure 71 lakh tonne of paddy during 2020-21 kharif marketing season (KMS).“The procurement target is fixed at 48 lakh tonne in term of rice (equivalent to 71 lakh tonne of paddy) for 2020-21 kharif marketing season. The tentative target for kharif season is 37 lakh tonne rice (equivalent to 54 lakh tonne paddy) and 11 lakh tonne of rice (equivalent to 17 lakh tonne paddy) for rabi season,” said a Cabinet memorandum on food and procurement policy.
There is no bar for procurement of any higher quantum if more paddy comes to mandis from registered farmers, it added.The memorandum has been approved by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister and consent of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been obtained for Cabinet approval, sources in the department said adding that a circular of the policy has been issued to district collectors.
The State had procured a record quantity 70.56 lakh tonne of paddy from farmers in 2019-20 KMS. Despite opposition from the BJD to three farm Bills in Parliament, the State has witnessed a 21 per cent growth in farmers’ registration for procurement of paddy under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme during the current kharif season.
Over 14.97 lakh farmers have registered themselves through online for the kharif paddy procurement which will start from November 1 and continue till March 31.The government-appointed agencies like PACS, LAMPS, WSHGs and pani panchayats will procure paddy in all the districts at the MSP declared by the Central government. While the MSP for common variety has been fixed at `1,868 per quintal, it is `1,888 per quintal for Grade-A variety, the memorandum said.
This apart, per acre yield of paddy for procurement has been tentatively fixed at 19 quintal for irrigated areas and 12 quintal for rainfed areas. The Food Supplies department has also instructed the collectors to take necessary measures to prevent distress sale of paddy.
Kharif plan
14.97 lakh farmers have registered themselves online
Procurement to start from Nov 1 and continue till March 31
MSP for common variety has been fixed at `1,868 per quintal
It is `1,888 per quintal for Grade-A variety