Paddy Procurement Up 1.31% To 231 Lakh Tonnes Till Nov 10

The government's paddy purchases have risen slightly by 1.31 per cent to 231 lakh tonnes so far in the 2022–23 kharif marketing year from the preceding year, according to the food ministry.

From October forward, paddy procurement often starts as soon as the Southwest monsoon leaves. However, it starts in September in southern regions, particularly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

In the kharif marketing season of 2022–2023, the government plans to purchase 771.25 lakh tonnes of paddy (October-September). The actual procurement during the most recent kharif marketing season was a record 759.32 lakh tonnes.

In 13 procuring states/UTs, including Punjab, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, J&K, Kerala, Telangana, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu, the ministry reports that paddy procurement is proceeding without any problems.

The purchase of paddy increased from 228 lakh tonnes to over 231 lakh tonnes until November 11 of this year, according to the report.

The continuing purchase operations with a minimum support price worth Rs 47,644 crore have already helped over 13,50 lakh farmers, it noted.

This year's rainfall has been generally good throughout the nation, and paddy production is anticipated to stay at typical levels.