Govt procures 318 lakh tonnes of kharif paddy so far at MSP for over Rs 60k cr

The government on Tuesday said it has procured 19 per cent more paddy during the current kharif marketing season so far at 318 lakh tonnes for over Rs 60,000 crore. In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, the government continues to procure kharif crops at minimum support price (MSP) from farmers as per its existing schemes, it said.

Paddy procurement is continuing smoothly in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra. The government has procured 318 lakh tonnes of paddy till November 30, against last year's corresponding purchase of 268.15 lakh tonnes, showing an increase of 18.58 per cent.

"About 29.70 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 60,038.68 crore," an official statement said. Out of the total purchase of 318 lakh tonnes, Punjab alone has contributed 202.77 lakh tonnes, which is 63.76 per cent of total procurement.

Based on a proposal from states, approval was accorded for procurement of 45.24 lakh tonnes of pulses and oilseeds in KMS 2020 for the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), it said. Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 lakh tonnes of copra (the perennial crop) for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was given.

Till November 30, the government through its nodal agencies has procured 1,04,546.68 tonnes of moong, urad, groundnut pods and soyabean having MSP value of Rs 563.43 crore, benefitting 60,107 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan. Similarly, 5,089 tonnes of copra having MSP value of Rs 52.40 crore have been procured, benefitting 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu till November 30, as against last year's corresponding purchase of 293.34 tonnes.

In respect of copra and urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing states, it added. Procurement operations of seed cotton (kapas) under MSP are going on smoothly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. Till November 30, a total of 29,09,242 cotton bales worth Rs 8,515.53 crore have been procured, benefitting 5,81,449 farmers, the statement said.