Paddy procurement season gets off to a sound start in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Paddy procurement in the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23 has got off to a sound start in the state with the six procurement agencies concerned purchasing 1,40,865 metric tonne (MT) of paddy from the first crop of farmers as on Saturday, January 28.

The state government has set a target of procuring 10 lakh MT of paddy in the current Kharif Marketing Season. A record amount of 5.65 MT of paddy was procured in Assam in 2021-22.

The procurement agencies concerned are FCI (Food Corporation of India), AFCSCL (Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd), ASAMB (Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board), NACOF (National Federation of Farmers' Procurement Processing and Retailing Cooperatives of India Ltd), NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited), which have set up paddy procurement centres in different parts of the state.

As on Saturday, as many as 65,239 farmers across the state have applied for registration as certified sellers of paddy, out of whom 55,166 farmers have already been registered. The registered farmers have committed to sell 5,07,647.38 MT of paddy.

As of now, 16,476 farmers have sold 1,40,865 MT of paddy to the six procurement agencies. The FCI has procured 41,683 MT of paddy from 4,693 farmers; AFCSCL has procured 82,897 MT of paddy from 9,836 farmers; ASAMB has procured 1,667 MT of paddy from 219 farmers; NACOF has procured 1784 MT of paddy from 4,693farmers; NAFED has procured 11,362 MT of paddy from 1,378 farmers; and NCCF has procured 1,472 MT of paddy from 130 farmers.

It is pertinent to mention that the state government has set the MSP (Minimum Support Price) for paddy at Rs 2,040 for the 2022-23 season. Last season (2021-22), the MSP was Rs 1,940 per quintal.

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