Farmers urged to bring dry paddy to mandis for smooth procurement

DC Ankurjeet Singh today appealed to commission agents (arhtiyas) during a meeting regarding preparations for the kharif season. He requested them to encourage farmers to bring only dry paddy to the procurement centres (mandis) to avoid any operational challenges.

He said for farmers' convenience, the district has set up 30 permanent and 10 temporary mandis, ensuring all necessary procurement arrangements are in place.

While addressing the agents, he also confirmed that procurement agencies have adequate stock of gunny bags (bardana) and there will be no shortage during the season.

Regarding paddy harvesting, the DC stated that combine harvesters will only be allowed to operate between 10 am and 6 pm to ensure smooth operations and minimize disruptions.

Calling upon all commission agents, he emphasized the need to appeal to farmers in their regions to bring paddy with 17 per cent or lower moisture content to the mandis. Bringing dry paddy will ensure farmers do not face any issues during the procurement process.

He also instructed commission agents to share information about combine harvesters coming from outside the district with the Market Committee, so that timely coordination and necessary guidance can be provided.

In response to suggestions from the commission agents, the DC directed Market Committee officials to consider the proposal to check the moisture content of paddy at the entry gates of mandis and allow entry only to those trolleys carrying adequately dried paddy.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy is fixed at Rs 2,389 per quintal, and the district has a total of 55 procurement centres.