Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has set a target of procuring 53 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice, equivalent to around 78 LMT of paddy, during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27, while ensuring farmers receive Rs 3,100 per quintal, including Minimum Support Price (MSP) and input assistance.
The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has announced a comprehensive, farmer-centric and technology-driven procurement policy aimed at ensuring transparent paddy procurement, timely payment to farmers, efficient milling and uninterrupted rice supply under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes.
Under the policy, MSP payments will be transferred directly to farmers’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through NPCI within 24-48 hours of procurement.
The government will integrate P-PAS, Aadhaar-based e-KYC, Bhulekh and NPCI systems to strengthen transparency and verify farmers’ eligibility. Satellite imagery will be used for 100 per cent field verification of paddy-growing areas against registered land records, while Digital Crop Survey (DCS) data will provide an additional layer of verification.
The policy also provides for the registration and procurement of paddy from eligible sharecroppers (Bhaga Chasis) through structured digital consent and biometric or mobile-based authentication.
To facilitate procurement at the grassroots level, Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) will operate through PACS, LAMPS and Pani Panchayats. Farmers will receive advance SMS alerts in Odia regarding procurement dates and quantities.
Quality monitoring will be strengthened through FAQ testing and AI-based grain analysers at PPCs handling more than 5,000 metric tonnes. CCTV surveillance and live monitoring will also be introduced to improve transparency.
For efficient logistics, the government will implement mill tagging and route optimisation through MMDF to ensure timely milling and reduce transportation costs.
District-level control rooms and a toll-free helpline (1967) will be established to address farmers’ grievances. Border checks and CCTV surveillance will be used to prevent unauthorised paddy inflow.
The procurement period for the Kharif season will run from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.
The government said the policy aims to ensure every eligible farmer gets a fair opportunity to sell surplus paddy at MSP and receives payment promptly. Odisha will also continue meeting its requirements under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) and other welfare programmes, with surplus rice being delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the Central Pool.
