Anticipating higher paddy price when a new government is formed in Chhattisgarh, farmers have stopped selling their paddy crops in the state.

Although no political party has said whether it will provide the promised higher price from the current crop season, the farmers have decided to wait for the electoral outcome on December 3. 

The paddy procurement at MSP began in the state on November 1. Between November 1 and 28, about 13.21 lakh tonnes of paddy were purchased from 3,17,223 farmers, which is less than the quantity procured in the last Kharif season in the state.

In the previous Kharif season (2022-23), 5.42 lakh farmers sold 19.3 lakh tonnes of paddy from November 1 to 29. The state has set a target to buy 130 lakh tonnes of paddy during the current Kharif marketing season and set up 2,739 procurement centres.

The procurement drive will continue till January 31. Around 26.87 lakh farmers have registered to sell their produce this time. The Congress government had been buying paddy at MSP fixed by the Centre, which is about Rs 2,200 for this season, and giving an input subsidy of Rs 9,000 per acre to paddy growers.

It had hiked the limit of purchase from 15 quintals per acre to 20 quintals per acre for the ongoing Kharif season.

The Congress has promised that farmers will get Rs 3,200 per quintal for paddy if it retains power in the state.

The BJP said that if it formed a government, it will launch a ‘Krishi Unnati Scheme’ under which 21 quintals of paddy per acre will be procured at Rs 3,100 per quintal.