Paddy Procurement will Start in Uttarakhand from October 1

• 14 Sep 2022

Why In News?

• On September 13, 2022, Uttarakhand Food Minister Rekha Arya said in a review meeting of kharif procurement crop 2022-23 that paddy procurement will start in the state from October 1. The Food Minister said that the target of paddy procurement this season has been kept at nine lakh metric tonnes.

Key Points

• The departmental minister instructed to purchase paddy from government departments from October 1 to 15 and then to purchase paddy from farmers through commission agents.
• He said four agencies — food department, cooperation department, NAFED and NCCF — have been nominated to procure paddy. Around 257 procurement centres have been opened in the kharif season.
• In the meeting, the Minister directed the officials to prepare an action plan for procurement of local products which have been declared support price by the Central Government, including Mandua, Maize, Urad, Groundnut, Soyabean, Sesame, Jowar etc.
• The Minister said that this initiative will prove to be a boon to strengthen the economy of the local cultivators of the hills. This will give a new identity to the local products of the mountain. Also, the farmers of the mountain will also benefit.
• This year, the price of paddy has been increased by Rs 100 per quintal. The price of normal paddy has been increased from Rs 1940 to Rs 2040 per quintal and the minimum support price of grade A paddy has been increased from Rs 1960 to Rs 2060.