Bhubaneswar: The paddy procurement process is underway in the state this Kharif season. Procurement began in Deogarh district and will be carried out in 51 mandis, covering 21,414 farmers. To oversee the process, 51 Mandi Nodal Officers and 13 supervising officers have been appointed.
This year, 21,414 farmers have registered, compared to 19,662 last year in the district. Two additional mandis have been added this season, bringing the total to 51, compared to 49 last year. A total of 62,747 acres of paddy cultivation have been registered for this Kharif season, up from 58,249 acres last season. Satellite surveys of all registered paddy cultivation areas have been completed. Minimum facilities and CCTV installations have been provided in each mandi.
Currently, paddy procurement is ongoing in Bargarh, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Sundargarh, Subarnapur, and Balangir districts. So far, 3,05,050 metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 67,250 farmers. In this regard, Rs 447.22 crore as MSP and Rs 138 crore as input assistance have already been disbursed.
Procurement in other districts will begin in a phased manner, and all preparations are underway. Registered farmers are being given advance information, and tokens are being issued accordingly. Minimum facilities are available in mandis, and MSP is being credited to farmers’ accounts within 48 hours. The government has adopted an Aadhaar-linked e-KYC payment system.
The State Government is taking various measures for the all-round development of farmers.
