During the current procurement season in Haryana, a total of 6.22 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy have arrived in the mandis (grain markets) of the State till October 4.
During this period last year, 3.64 lakh MT paddy had arrived in the mandis, said a spokesman of Haryana Food and Supplies Department.
He said that of the total arrival, more than 5.94 lakh MT paddy was leviable and 27,178 MT paddy was non-leviable. While Government procurement agencies have purchased more than 5.42 lakh MT paddy, millers and dealers have purchased 79,754 MT paddy.
Kurukshetra has received the maximum amount of paddy at more than 1.73 lakh MT. Of the total arrival, over 1.45 lakh MT paddy has arrived in Karnal, more than 1.08 lakh MT in Kaithal, 99,527 MT in Ambala, 41,973 MT in Yamunanagar, 24,033 MT in Panchkula, 22,531 MT in Fatehabad, 3,698 MT in Sirsa, 2,758 MT in Jind and 684 MT in Hisar.
The Food and Supplies Department has purchased more than 2.50 lakh MT of paddy, over 2.08 lakh MT have been purchased by HAFED, 54,356 MT have been purchased by the Haryana Agro-industries Corporation and more than 29,494 MT have been purchased by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation.
The spokesman added that paddy that meets the criteria would be procured in any case, and the Government would ensure its storage. Farmers have been advised to clean and dry their harvest properly before bringing them to the market so that they do not have to face any problems in storage due to high moisture content.