mandi bhav of india

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Govt buys wheat worth Rs 85,581 cr, paddy worth Rs 1.64 lakh cr this marketing year so far

New Delhi, The government on Friday said it has procured a record 433.32 lakh tonnes of wheat so far this marketing year at minimum support price (MSP) for Rs 85,581 crore.

“Current marketing season RMS 2021-22 has concluded in most of wheat procuring States and till now (up to July 22) a quantity of 433.32 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured,” an official statement said.

The procurement is an all-time high, as it has exceeded the previous record of 389.92 lakh tonnes achieved in Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2020-21 (April-March). Bulk of the wheat procurement is done during April-June period.

“About 49.14 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing RMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 85,581.35 crore,” the food ministry said.

Paddy procurement in the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21 (October to September) is continuing smoothly in the procuring states.

The Centre has purchased a record 869.76 lakh tonnes of paddy (includes Kharif crop of 707.69 lakh tonnes and rabi crop of 162.07 lakh tonnes) up to July 22, 2021, as against 759.24 lakh tonnes procured in the corresponding period of the previous year.

“About 128.37 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 1,64,211.54 crore,” the ministry said.

Paddy procurement too has surpassed the previous high of 773.45 lakh tonnes in KMS 2019-20.

Record procurement of wheat and paddy has been achieved amid farmers” protest at Delhi borders since late November last year.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting against the three new farm laws. Farmer unions are demanding a repeal of the three legislations and a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP). PTI