The state agencies will start purchasing paddy from the farmers across the state from October 1 under the minimum support price scheme for paddy for the current Kharif season 2015-16. The state agencies will purchase from the farmers till February 28 next year. The state government has fixed the target of procuring 42 lakh MT of paddy from the farmers for the current season.
Along with the marketing branch of the food department 10 other agencies of the state will procure paddy from the farmers at the MSP of Rs 1,410 per quintal fixed by the Center. As per the schedule for procurement drawn by the food department in ten divisions of the state the paddy will be purchased till January 31 next year while in rest of the eight divisions the agencies will procure the paddy from the farmers from November 1 to February 28 next year.
The food department has fixed the target for each of the 10 state agencies. The agencies are PCF, UP consumer cooperative federation, UP agro Industrial Corporation, UP state food and essential commodities corporation, UP state employees Welfare Corporation, National consumer cooperative federation, National agriculture marketing federation of India, National federation of farmers procurement processing and retailing cooperative of India and the Food Corporation of India.