The Chhattisgarh government will commence paddy procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) starting November 14. This year, the state has set an ambitious target of procuring 16 million tonnes (mt) of paddy, which requires around 800,000 bales of rice.
Chhattisgarh is one of the few states in India that purchases paddy directly from farmers at MSP, offering the highest price of ₹3,100 per quintal. During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the government approved the policy for paddy procurement and custom milling at support price for the kharif marketing year 2024-25.
According to a state government spokesperson, “Based on the Cabinet sub-committee’s recommendations, it has been decided to begin paddy purchases in cash and linkage from farmers starting November 14, 2024.” The procurement process will continue until January 31, 2025.
The registration of farmers for paddy procurement through the Integrated Kisan Portal, managed by the Department of Agriculture, is currently underway and will remain open until October 31, 2024. More than 2.4 million farmers are expected to benefit from this initiative, and the biometric system used in previous years will continue.
This year’s target of 16 mt marks an increase from the 14.5 mt procured in the last kharif season. The government directly acquires paddy through primary agriculture cooperative societies and procurement centers set up at the village level. The state-run Chhattisgarh Marketing Federation (MARKFED) acts as the nodal agency for procurement, processing payments through Direct Bank Transfer (DBT). Last season, MARKFED established 2,058 cooperative societies and 2,739 procurement centers across the state.
Before the November 2023 assembly elections, the ruling BJP promised to procure paddy at ₹3,100 per quintal from farmers. This price includes the MSP set by the central government, with the difference covered as an input subsidy to ensure farmers receive the full amount.
Additionally, the state cabinet has approved the purchase of 402,000 new jute bags (Bardana) through the jute commissioner for storage purposes.
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