Paddy procurement for the Kharif season is set to begin on November 20. Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo announced that trhe final preparations for this year’s Kharif season paddy procurement in Odisha are underway, with the process starting in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts on November 20 and 22, respectively.
Deputy CM KV Singh Deo, who is also in charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, led a review meeting on Sunday. He stressed the urgency of speeding up the paddy procurement as the scheduled dates draw near.
He instructed officials to address any irregularities, such as brokerage and unjust deductions, to ensure farmers are paid fair prices for their crops.
In a first, farmers will receive an additional input subsidy of Rs.800 per quintal over the minimum support price for paddy.
Today, we gathered for the inter-ministerial committee to deliberate upon the vital affairs of paddy procurement, including the status of joint paddy physical verification. Our intent is to uphold transparency and efficiency for the benefit of our farmers. Let us ensure their… pic.twitter.com/MBtd06kS10
— Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo (Modiji Ka Parivar) (@KVSinghDeo1) November 17, 2024
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is set to inaugurate the subsidy disbursement in Sohela, Bargarh district, on December 8. Farmers who sell their paddy at the mandis by December 7 will be eligible for the Rs.800 per quintal subsidy in a single payment.
To assess grain quality, automatic grain analyzers will be employed. These devices are already operational at 200 major paddy procurement centres (PPCs) that have a capacity to collect more than 4,000 metric tons. Moisture meters are also in place at these centers.
The Dy CM called on millers to attend the mandis to deter malpractices like unfair deductions (katni chhatni). Control room systems will be established in each district to support farmers, with nodal officers and supervisors assigned to the mandis for transparency.
The meeting was also attended by Food Supply and Consumer Affairs Minister Krushna Chandra Patro, Cooperation Minister Pradip Bal Samant, and top officials from the Agriculture Department.
