Udupi DC orders opening of paddy procurement centres at APMC yards

Deputy Commissioner Dr R Vishal directed Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (KFCSC) to start paddy procurement centres at the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards in three taluks of Udupi district to purchase paddy at minimum support price.

Chairing a meeting here on Monday, he said the centres are opened in the interest of paddy growers in Udupi district. The minimum support price should be provided to the farmers. Farmers should be told to bring in paddy in 50 kg bags. The harvesting season in the district has been completed early. There is a demand for paddy. Hence the district administration has decided to start the centre to procure paddy.

The Central government had fixed an minimum support price of Rs 1,410 a quintal for common paddy, while grade paddy would fetch Rs. 1,450 per quintal. The State government will give an additional amount of Rs. 100 a quintal.

The DC directed Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Manager to appoint the required staff to the paddy purchasing centre. There is a need to create awareness on the paddy procurement centre. The officials should ensure that the MSP was paid to the farmers within three days of purchase and should be credited to the account of the farmers. Only the paddy, which had been passed by genuine graders, should be purchased, he said.

The DC directed APMC secretaries to hand over the godowns to the KFCSC to store the purchased paddy. The agriculture joint director Antony Maria Immanuel should identify the grader.

He directed the Udupi APMC secretary to utilise the grants provided to the APMC for the development of link road or APMC development and submit a report to him. Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Yogeshwar, and Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Siddaramaiah were present.