Centre buys paddy worth Rs 1.23 lakh cr so far

New Delhi,  The Centre has procured 651.07 lakh tonnes of paddy worth nearly Rs 1.23 lakh crore, so far in this kharif marketing season at minimum support price (MSP) amid farmers protest at Delhi-borders against three new farm laws.

The kharif marketing season starts from October. Paddy is mainly grown in Kharif (summer sown) season.

“In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes, as was done in previous seasons,” the Food Ministry said in a statement.

The Centre has procured 651.07 lakh tonnes of paddy till February 19, up 15.91 per cent from 561.67 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous season.

“About 93.93 lakh farmers have already been benefited from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 1,22,922.58 crore,” the ministry said.

Out of the total purchase of 651.07 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.82 LMT which is 31.15 per cent of total procurement.

Thousand of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi-borders seeking repeal of three new laws and a legal guarantee of the MSP. PTI