UP clocks 1.1 mt in paddy procurement
Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a desperate farm outreach ahead of the high-stake Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly elections, the state paddy procurement has breached the 1.1 million tonne (mt) mark.
Virendra Singh Rawat
Lucknow
Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a desperate farm outreach ahead of the high-stake Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly elections, the state paddy procurement has breached the 1.1 million tonne (mt) mark.
In the current Kharif marketing season, the state agencies together with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have logged more than 1.1 mt in the procurement of the staple crop under the flagship minimum support price (MSP) mechanism.
UP food and civil supplies commissioner Saurabh Babu said 162,569 farmers had benefited with procurement worth Rs 2,200 crore. The process will further gain momentum in the weeks to come.
The MSP for Grade A and common variety of paddy for the season is Rs 1,960 per quintal and Rs 1,940 per quintal respectively.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier instructed officials for a seamless purchase season of paddy, while ensuring regular monitoring and surprise inspection. About 4,010 procurement centres have been set up to facilitate direct purchases from farmers.
Moreover, the government has taken steps to keep the middlemen and brokers at bay so that only genuine farmers reap the MSP benefits.
