Amid farmers’protests across India against the farm Bills and their apprehensions over the minimum support price (MSP), the Centre on Wednesday said since September 26 it has procured 15.26 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy at the MSP value of around Rs 2,882 crore from 1,27,832 farmers.
This is 23 per cent more than last year’s procurement of 12.38 LMT. Similarly, the number of purchase centers has increased from 30549 to 39130, an increase of 28 per cent amid coronavirus pandemic.
Addressing a Press conference, Sudhanshu Pandey, secretary, Food and Public Distribution Department, said so far 23 per cent more paddy has been procured than last year. The paddy procurement of 4,82,656 MT in Haryana, 10,08,028 MT in Punjab, 6,945 MT in Chandigarh, 1545 MT in Uttar Pradesh and 1809 MT in Kerala and 25,551 MT in Tamil Nadu totaling 15,26,534 MT having MSP value of around Rs 2,882 core has been done from 1,27,832 farmers of Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Pandey said up to October 6, the nodal agencies procured 201.15 MT of moong having MSP value of Rs 1.45 crore benefitting 161 farmers in Tamil Nadu and Haryana. Similarly, 5089 MT of copra having MSP value of Rs 52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu against the sanctioned quantity of 1.23 LMT for the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
In respect of copra and urad, rates are ruling at or above MSP. Respective State Governments are making arrangements for commencement of procurement in respect of moong.
According to the CMD (Food Corporation of India) DV Prasad, the procurement of paddy from farmers across the country has registered an increase of 5 per cent till now as compared to corresponding period last year. “Maximum procurement has happened in Punjab where 7,82,685 MT paddy has already been procured from the farmers through APMC system as against24,452 MT procured last year. The target of paddy procurement is fixed 497.10 LMT to benefit 1.56 crore farmers this year. The Government will spend Rs 140078 crore (estimated) in 2020-21. During pandemic, 528 LMT wheat and paddy has been procured from 64.64 lakh farmers this year as compared to 437 LMT last year.
Last year, the Government has procured 510 LMT rice as against the total production of 1184 LMT.
At a joint Press conference, secretaries of agriculture, food and consumer affairs and textiles presented a data of procurement of their respective ministries. Sanjay Agrawal, secretary (agriculture), said 1,095 lakh hectare area sown during kharif crop season this year which 10 lakh hectare more as compared to the last year of 1085 lakh hectare. “The procurement of MSP crops has increased many folds during the recent years,” he said.