Assam sets new record in paddy procurement; seven lakh MT procured

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam has set a new record in paddy procurement by procuring nearly 7 lakh MT of paddy, benefiting around 68,000 registered farmers of the state during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25.

Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 with a record paddy procurement of 6.97 lakh MT, the highest ever.”

In the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23, the state procured 5.92 lakh MT of paddy, and in 2023-24, the state procured 3.14 lakh MT of paddy.

“This remarkable achievement reflects our commitment to ensuring that our farmers are connected to markets and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) they rightfully deserve. My sincere gratitude to the entire team involved with the procurement process,” the Chief Minister said.

In the past, the farmers of the state had no way out but to sell their paddy to middlemen at Rs 800-1,200 per quintal. With that selling price, the farmers could hardly compensate for their cost of production. However, with the government fixing the MSP (minimum support prices), the farmers of the state now get the remunerative price of their paddy. The MSP of paddy was Rs 1,868 per quintal in 2020-21, and that rose to Rs 2,550 in 2024-25.

The state has 169 paddy procurement centres.

To make the state self-reliant in meeting the National Food Security Act (NFSA) requirement and ensuring MSP to farmers, the government has given thrust to paddy procurement programmes. As much as 20 lakh MT of paddy has been procured from the farmers of the state during the period from 2021-22 to 2024-25 with the payment of Rs 4,200 crore as MSP.

 Also Read: Assam Paddy Success: 96% Procurement Target Achieved by Farmers

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