Pace of procurement of paddy this season seems to be slow in Udham Singh Nagar as compared to that of previous year. As the officials concerned informed while 18,094 metric tone (mt) of paddy had \\been collected by different agencies till November 18 in 2012, the same paddy procurement agencies claim to have procured 13,814.580 mt of paddy till the same period this year from different parts of this district.
Out of the total 13,814.580 mt of paddy procured till November 18 so far, the food supply department procured 25,48.84 mt of paddy followed by the State cooperative department with 11,241.94 mt of paddy and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) with 23.800 mt of paddy, informed the officials concerned of the Udham Singh Nagar district administration.
It may be recalled that the Government has fixed `1,310 as minimum support price for per quintal of common paddy and `1,345 for per quintal of Grade One paddy for this Kharif season.
In the meanwhile, as the officials concerned have informed a total 51 paddy purchasing centres have been set up by different Government agencies including the State food supply department, the State cooperative sector and the FCI in various parts of Udham Singh Nagar.
Out of the total 51 paddy purchasing centres while the State food supply department has set up eight purchasing centre, the State cooperative department has opened as many as 39 such paddy purchasing centre, added the officials concerned of the Udham Singh Nagar district administration.
Similarly, as many as four paddy purchasing centres have been set up by the FCI in different places of Udham Singh Nagar, added the officials concerned.
In the meanwhile, the officials concerned have also made it clear to the farmers that as per norms the humidity level in the paddy should not be more than 17 per cent.