More than 250,000 quintals of paddy procured in 114 centres in Gondia

Paddy procurement is underway in only 114 out of 171 approved centres of the district marketing federation (DMF) in Maharashtra's Gondia district and more than 2.5 lakh quintals of the produce have been procured so far, an official said on Sunday.

As many as 171 procurement centres have been approved under the DMF in the district, of which procurement was started at 114 centres, District Marketing Officer (DMO) Vivek Ingle said.

At least 2,56,527 quintals of paddy have been procured at these centres so far, and the administration has extended the last date of registration for farmers to December 31 from the earlier November 30, while the last date for procurement is January 31, 2024, he said.

Every year, the government procures paddy on MSP (minimum support price) through the DMF in non-tribal areas and the tribal development corporation in tribal areas.

The MSP for the common grade of paddy was Rs 2,183 per quintal this year, Ingle said, adding that the procurement target was 27 lakh quintals.

As many as 83,131 farmers have registered themselves online so far and they can register till the end of December, the official said.