Paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh crosses 105 lakh metric tonnes mark
Nearly 23.12 lakh farmers sold paddy
Payment of Rs 21,587 crore made to farmers in lieu of paddy purchase
83 lakh metric tonnes of paddy lifted by millers for custom milling
Raipur, January 23, 2023 / Breaking previous records, the paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh has crossed 105 lakh metric tonnes mark. The paddy procurement at support price which started in the state on November 1 last year under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel is going on at a rapid pace in the state and will continue till January 31 this year. Nearly 23.12 lakh farmers of the state have sold paddy. About Rs 21,587 crore has been paid to the farmers under the bank linking system in lieu of paddy purchase.
Out of the total 105 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured so far, DO has been issued for the lifting of 91 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, against which 83 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been lifted by the millers.
Food officials said that on January 23, more than 63,000 metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased from more than 16,000 farmers. 4000 tonnes of paddy has also been purchased from the farmers who obtained tokens online.
It is worth mentioning that this year 25.96 lakh farmers have been registered in the state, including about 2.30 lakh new registrations. In a bid to make it easier for farmers to sell paddy, 135 new procurement centers were started in the state this year, taking the total tally of procurement centers in the state to 2,617. Normal paddy is being bought at the rate of Rs 2040 per quintal and grade-A paddy at Rs 2060 per quintal.
A strict vigil is being kept on the paddy procurement system in the state. Goods carriers are being checked at check posts to prevent illegal transportation of paddy from border states. The state government has set a target of procuring about 110 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from the registered farmers of the state this year.