12.58 LMT paddy lifted from Punjab mandis till October 10

CHANDIGARH: A total of 12.58 lakh metric tonne (LMT) paddy was lifted from the grain markets across the state till October 10, said Punjab food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Sunday.
Four state procurement agencies—Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup and Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC)—and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) are procuring Grade A paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,888 per quintal as per the specifications of the central government. Paddy procurement and lifting is running smoothly in the state, he said.
“A total of 23.38 LMT paddy had arrived till October 10 in the mandis of Punjab, out of which 22.62 LMT has been procured by the government agencies and 0.13 LMT by private traders. Of the total procured paddy, 12.58 LMT has already been lifted from the grain markets of the state,” he added.The minister said that elaborate arrangements have been made by all procurement agencies to ensure smooth procurement, lifting and payment for the crop, so that farmers do not have to face any problems in selling their produce. He urged the farmers to follow all health protocols to contain the spread of Covid-19. All the 4,221mandis and procurement centres have been made operational for uninterrupted procurement since September 27 and procurement would continue till November 30, he added.