Odisha aims at record paddy procurement to widen rural economy

Expecting the bumper paddy crop this kharif season, the Odisha government has decided to procure a record quantity of paddy from farmers this year in order to widen the rural economy.

Reviewing the arrangements of the procurement in all the 10 districts of Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhunj, Bhadrak, Khurda, Puri and Nayagarh, the State food and civil supplies minister Sanjay Dasburma said the state government has decided to procure paddy worth Rs 7,500 crore from farmers this year.

About 25 percent of this quantity of paddy would be procured from a little over three lakh registered farmers of these ten districts located in the central division, the minister said adding that the farmers will get their sale proceeds through online accounts.

Like previous years, the entire procedures of paddy procurement this year will also be done through the primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS), he said.

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Secretary P K Mohapatra informed that the state government has decided to procure paddy at the rate of 18 quintals per acre from irrigated land and 12 quintals per acre from non-irrigated land.

He said the government will adhere to the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1510 per quintal of Grade-A paddy and Rs 1470 per quintal for fair average quality (FAQ) variety.