Rajasthan to start bajra procurement from Nov 1

On the approval and direction of Union Agriculture Ministry to contain stress sale by farmers, the Rajasthan government will start procurement of fresh bajra produce at minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 880 per quintal in 16 out of 33 districts from November one.

Rajfed would buy bajra at 44 procurement centres, while Food Corporation of India at 25 centres, the Food and Civil Supply Minister Babulal Nagar told in a press conference here.

As per the crop assessment the first phase buying would be effective, where its production was above one lakh tonne in a district, Nagar said.
    
Payment of up to Rs 10,000 would be made to farmers by a bearer cheque, while above it would be an account payee cheque.
    
High standards of quality, moisture, hardness, disease less, and weight per gram would be maintained by the buying agencies (fci and rajfed), he said.
    
As against sowing of bajra in 51 lakh hectares, Rajasthan recorded its bumper production up to 45 lakh tonnes, he said. The state would go for renting private warehouses to store the procurement, if required, he said.
    
Recently, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has approved the state government's proposal and provided a fund of Rs 50 cr to the state to start its procurement.
    
Agriculture Ministry also directed Reserve Bank of India to transfer a fund of Rs 50 cr for setting up bajra procurement centres in the state with immediate effect.
    
Farmers were selling it at the price lower than MSP at around Rs 700 to Rs 750 per quintal in the open market to brokers which was a direct loss to the producer.