32.9L paddy farmers benefit from KMS Procurement Op of Rs 63,563cr by Centre
New Delhi, Dec 6 (Mayank Nigam) The Government has procured Kharif 2020-21 crops including paddy at its MSP from farmers as per existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) schemes. A Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution release here said paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 has progressed smoothly in the procuring states and union territories of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar with purchase of over 336.67 LMTs of paddy up to December 5, 2020 against last year’s corresponding purchase of 279.91 LMT — an increase of 20.27 per cent over last year.
Of the total purchase of 336.67 LMT, Punjab alone has purchased 202.77 LMT till the close of procurement season in the state on November 30, which is 60.23 per cent of total procurement in the country. In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, about 32.92 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 63,563.79 crore. Based on the proposal from the states, approval was accorded for procurement of 45.24 LMT of pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS). Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra (the perennial crop) for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. For other states/UTs, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective states/UTs by the Central nodal agencies through state nominated procuring agencies. Up to Saturday, the Government through its nodal agencies has procured 13,0619.34 MT of Moong, Urad, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of Rs 702.21 crores benefitting 74,613 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Similarly, 5,089 MT of copra (the perennial crop) having MSP value of Rs 52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu up to December 5 against last year’s corresponding purchase of 293.34 MT of copra. In respect of copra and urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing states. The respective state/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds.