Chhattisgarh govt aims to procure 160 mn MT paddy in current kharif season

The Chhattisgarh government has set an estimated target of 160 lakh metric tonne paddy procurement for the 2024-25 kharif marketing season, officials said on Tuesday.

The cabinet sub-committee constituted to review and give suggestions on the policy of paddy procurement and custom milling at the support price in the ongoing kharif marketing season took the decision to this effect in a meeting at Mantralaya Nava Raipur on Monday, a public relations department official said.

The committee, during the meeting chaired by state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Dayaldas Baghel, decided to procure an estimated 160 LMT of paddy from farmers in the state, he said.

Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap, Health and Family Welfare Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Tank Ram Verma were also present in the meeting.

Keeping in view the Diwali festival and the State Foundation Day celebration Rajyotsav, the committee discussed starting paddy procurement from November 15. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the official said.

It was also decided to purchase paddy from registered farmers in the state at the rate of 21 quintals per acre on the support price. All procurement centres have also been asked to make arrangements for electronic weighing machines, he said.

The cabinet sub-committee also decided to buy jute bags through the Jute Commissioner and Gem portal so that paddy purchase is well organised and jute bags are easily available to farmers, the official said.

In the previous Kharif season, a record 144.92 LMT of paddy was purchased at the support price in the state and it is being estimated that it will go 160 LMT in the ongoing season.

The procurement will be done through 2,058 cooperative societies and 2,739 paddy procurement centers in the state, the official said.