In a first, state to purchase paddy directly from mills

The state government will purchase at least two lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers at 1,750 per quintal, the Cabinet sub-committee on minimum support price (MSP) procurement announced on Saturday.

For the first time, paddy will be procured directly at mills where it will be processed and then sent to the public distribution system, Cooperation Minister Bandeppa Kashempur told reporters. “We used to procure paddy and keep it in godowns. Now, procurement centres have been opened in mills,” he said.

Farmers can register themselves at procurement centres from December 5 and procurement will start on December 15.

The Centre has permitted the state to procure two lakh metric tonnes of paddy through MSP. “Paddy has been sown on 10 lakh hectares and the production target is 45 lakh metric tonnes,” Kashempur said. The per-quintal market rate for paddy is 1,300-1,400, he added.

The Cabinet sub-committee also decided to ask the Centre for permission to carry out MSP procurement for masoor dal, maize and green gram. The government is prepared to procure urad (Rs 5,600 per quintal) and soya (Rs 3,999 per quintal), Kashempur said.