Notwithstanding COVID-19 pandemic Paddy procurement In India increases by 24.58% over last year

Notwithstanding COVID-19 pandemic Paddy procurement In India increases by 24.58% over last year

In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes, as was done in previous seasons.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is progressing at a good pace in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, J&K and Kerala with purchase of over 126.08 LMTs of paddy up to 22.10.2020 against the last year corresponding purchase of 101.20 LMT showing an increase of  24.58 %overlastyear.Outofthetotalpurchaseof 126.08  LMT,  Punjab alone has contributed 81.81 LMT which is 64.89 % of total procurement. About 10.85 Lac farmers have already been benefited from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs.23804.45croreatMSPrateof Rs18880 per MT.
Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 45.10 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, the 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 the year 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 22.10.2020, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 894.04 MT of Moong and Urad having MSP value of Rs.6.42 Crores benefitting 870 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Haryana. Similarly, 5089 MT of copra (the perennial crop) having MSP value of Rs. 52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 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 the commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and oilseeds.
 
 Cotton procurement operations under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Till 22.10.2020, a quantity of 305097 cotton bales valuing Rs.86155.83 lakh has been procured benefitting 59453 farmers.