Food Corporation of India procures 29,130 quintal paddy in lower Kangra areas

Nurpur, November 18

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) procured 29,130 quintals of paddy till last evening from farmers of lower Kangra areas at three procurement centres set up by the HP State Agricultural Marketing Board (HPSAMB).

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs had notified the three centres at Milwan in Indora subdivision, Riyali and Fatehpur. The FCI along with state agencies procures wheat and paddy.

As per official information, the HPSAMB had handed over these centres to the FCI on October 7 after ensuring all basic facilities like drinking water, toilets, electricity, wooden crates and winnowing machines for cleaning food grains. The FCI has arranged technical manpower at these centres. Paddy procurement that had started on October 7 was likely to close at December end.

Sources say that farmers have been directed to register themselves on the FCI’s portal up to December 15. The FCI is procuring paddy for Rs 2,040 to Rs 2,060 per quintal, as per the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Central Government.

These procurement centers were made functional on October 15 last year but following the government order, procurement was started on October 7 this year on the persistent demand of farmers. The FCI is transferring payments for the paddy procured directly into the bank accounts of farmers. The state Agriculture Department has constructed a grain yard at a cost of Rs 1.46 crore and it started functioning this paddy season.

Dixit Jaryal, secretary of the APMC, Kangra, told The Tribune that the HPSAMB used to provide requisite infrastructure at the procurement centres on the payment of one per cent market fee by the FCI to the APMC. He said that the FCI had procured 16,108 quintals of paddy from 193 farmers at Milwan, 10,415 quintals from 259 farmers at Riyali and 2,607 quintals from 92 farmers at the Fatehpur procurement centre till last evening. He added that paddy procurement was going on smoothly in these centres.