Paddy procurement centre at Khowang Ghat to start functioning from February 9

Dibrugarh: The paddy procurement centre at Khowang Ghat of Dibrugarh district, which was notified by the Assam Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, will function from February 9 this year.

The Food Corporation of India will procure paddy from genuine farmers of Dibrugarh district as well as from other districts in Upper Assam at minimum support price through the centre. The opening date of the PPC at Khowang Ghat was decided in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha at the conference hall of the DC's office to discuss on the paddy procurement process for the Kharif season 2020-2021 on Monday. Minimum Support Price for common grade paddy has been fixed at Rs 1,868 per quintal.

Chairing the meeting, Deputy Commissioners Jha said that though Dibrugarh was one of the top rice-producing district of the State, the procurement of paddy from Dibrugarh was very low. Asking the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Agriculture and FCI to work in coordination in order to facilitate the farmers to sell their paddy production, Jha also directed ADOs to create awareness among the farmers about the paddy quality parameters set by FCI and mobilize the farmers so that maximum genuine farmers could avail the benefit. He also directed ADOs to simplify and standardize the process of issuance of certificate to farmers. The ADOs were also requested to organize farmers from different areas of the districts to the PPC so that transport cost of the farmers could be reduced

A target of 2,000 metric tonnes has been set for the PPC, Khowang Ghat till May 2021, as announced by FCI officials. In the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Jha also set a target of procuring 50 MT paddy on the first day. Minimum Support Price for the common grade paddy is fixed at Rs. 1,868 per quintal but most of the farmers are reportedly selling it for Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per quintal on an average.

ADC Rajib Thapha, Assistant Commissioner Jay Shivani, Deputy Director, FCS &CA, Jugananda Changmai, District Agriculture Officer Somendra Goswami, ADOs, FCI officials and farmers also attended the meeting.

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