Procurement agencies, including Food Corporation of India (FCI), have procured over 210 lakh tonnes (lt) of paddy, nearly 20 per cent more than during the corresponding period the previous kharif marketing season, an official statement said.
This is over 28 per cent more than the projected procurement of 742 lt, planned for the current kharif marketing season. Procurement from Punjab was 148 lt — over 70 per cent the total procurement, as of now.
The statement said a sum of ₹39,741 crore has been given to 17.74 lakh farmers towards payment for the procured food grains till date.
Further, based on proposals from the States, the approval was given for procuring 45.10 lakh tonnes of pulses and oilseeds to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS), it said.