Bhubaneswar: Farmers who had registered to sell paddy under the existing mechanism of the food supplies and consumer welfare department, will be able to sell paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, the cabinet decided on Wednesday.
The cabinet, led by chief minister Mohan Majhi, approved the modalities of the Samrudha Krushak Yojana, under which the govt plans to buy paddy from farmers at Rs 800 more per quintal than the minimum support price of Rs 2,300.
The state will pay the extra Rs 800 as input assistance, while the Centre will pay the MSP. Only registered farmers can sell paddy based on Aadhaar-based biometric identification.
The govt is conducting field verification and validation of paddy growing areas through satellite imagery, a govt statement said.
The govt will inform farmers about the date of paddy sale and the quantity to be sold in advance. Paddy seed growers, who registered under the Odisha State Seed and Organic Products Certification Agency and sell paddy seeds through the Odisha State Seeds Corporation, will also be eligible for input subsidy over and above the seed price, a govt statement said.
The cabinet also approved the food and procurement policy for the 2024-25 kharif season (Oct 2024 to Sept 2025). The govt has set a tentative target of procuring 54 lakh metric tonnes of rice, which will amount to around 80 lakh MT of paddy.
The govt has set a target of procuring 66 lakh MT of paddy for the kharif season (Nov 2024 to March 2025) and 14 lakh MT for the Rabi season (May to June). A cabinet sub-committee will oversee the implementation of the procurement policy and modify the overall target if required.