In the current Kharif marketing season, the paddy procurement has registered a jump of 15.91 per cent in comparison to corresponding period last year. Till yesterday, over 651 lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy have been purchased against the last year corresponding purchase of over 561 lakh Metric Tonnes. Out of the total purchase, Punjab alone has contributed over 202 lakh Metric Tonnes which is over 31 per cent of total procurement. About 94 lakh farmers have already been benefited from the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season procurement with MSP value of over 1.22 lakh crore rupees. Government continues to procure Kharif crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes. Paddy procurement for the current Kharif season is continuing smoothly in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tripura.
Based on the proposal from the states, approval was accorded for procurement of nearly 52 lakh Metric Tonnes of Pulses and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season-2020 for Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme. The sanction for procurement of 1.23 lakh Metric Tonnes of Copra the perennial crop for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given.
Besides, the sanction for procurement of over 26 lakh Metric Tonnes of Pulse and Oilseeds of Rabi Marketing Season 2020-2021 for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, was also given.
Till yesterday, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured over over three lakh Metric Tonnes of Moong, Urad, Tur, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of over 1,665 Crores rupees. It has benefited over one lakh 67 thousand farmers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Similarly, 5,089 Metric Tonnes of copra having MSP value of over 52 crore rupees has been procured benefitting 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.