Farmers may enrol for purchase of paddy under support price: DC

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that the farmers may enrol their names between November 30 and December 30 towards the purchase of paddy under support price.

Chairing a meeting of the district-level task force on the purchase of paddy, at her office on Friday, she said that the paddy purchase centres will be opened at Cooperative Marketing Federation Office in Kushalnagar and APMCs in Madikeri and Gonikoppa.

She further said that for the farmers to be eligible under the scheme, the name of the farmer and the crop should be clearly mentioned in the RTC.

The Aadhaar card of the farmer should be linked with FRUITS database. There is a provision to purchase a maximum of 40 quintals of paddy, she added.

The information of the farmers registered under the minimum support price scheme will be directly obtained from the database while doing the purchase.

If the name of the crop is not properly mentioned in the RTC, the farmers should rectify the same, she said.

Speaking on the occasion, food and civil supplies department Deputy Director Gaurav Kumar Shetty said that the processes starting from the enrolment till the payment of money will be handled by Cooperative Marketing Federation.

The owners of rice mills should ensure the quality of paddy while receiving the same from farmers.

Later, the mills will have to update the details online, along with the letter issued by the concerning official on the quality assessment.

Prior to this, the department sends SMS to farmers on the confirmation of purchase. Following the same, the farmers have to provide the sample of the paddy to the designated mill, he added.

He also pointed out that during the recently held general meeting of the Zilla Panchayat, it has been told to purchase Atira paddy. But, the Atira paddy is not being distributed under civil supplies.

The deputy commissioner asked the Zilla Panchayat CEO to provide information to the food department commissioner on the issue.

Gaurav Kumar Shetty further said that the farmers may avail more information on the support price scheme, from Raita Samparka Kendra, Gram Panchayat or the department of food and civil supplies.

Issues related to FRUITS database could be rectified at Raita Samparka Kendra, he said.

Agriculture department Joint Director Shabana M Sheikh, Cooperative Marketing Federation district manager Harish and owners of rice mills were present.

Paddy rates

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that State Cooperative Marketing Federation is the agency designated by the government towards the purchase of paddy under minimum support price.

Price for a quintal of ‘A’ grade paddy is fixed at Rs 1,888 and that of common grade paddy at Rs 1,868. The cooperative marketing federation should purchase paddy as per the prescribed norms, she added.