Pace of paddy procurement seems quite slow in Terai region of Uttarakhand, particularly in Udham Singh Nagar, as compared to the last year.
The procurement agencies, including the State food supply department and the cooperative sector, have been able to collect only 15621.156 metric tone (mt) of paddy till November 16 this year, while 108498.928 mt of paddy had been collected by the procurement agencies during the corresponding period last year.
Since the paddy procurement exercise that started from October, 2014 will continue in different parts of the region till January 31, 2015, therefore, as the officials said, the paddy procurement process would gain momentum in due course.
However, out of the total 15621.156 mt of paddy, the cooperative sector has collected 11199.336 mt of paddy, while the food supply department has been able to procure 4421.82 mt of paddy, said the officials of the Udham Singh Nagar district administration.
The Government has fixed `1360 as minimum support price for per quintal of common paddy and `1400 for per quintal of Grade One paddy for this Kharif season.
A total 60 paddy purchasing centres have been set up by the procurement agencies in various parts of Udham Singh Nagar. However, the officials have asked the farmers to bring their produce to the paddy purchasing centres for sale only after keeping the humidity level in the paddy below 17 per cent, as per norms.
At the same time, it has also emphasised the need to create awareness about the ongoing paddy procurement drive and give publicity to the existing paddy procurement centres so that the farmers may easily come to these paddy collection centres to sell their produce.
The district administration Udham Singh Nagar has also asked the officials concerned to take necessary steps so that the paddy procurement process could be carried out smoothly and the farmers could get due price of their produce.