Odisha govt sets target to procure 55 lakh mt paddy during Kharif season

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday approved the food and procurement policy for Kharif marketing season 2018-19.

The state government has set a target to procure 55 lakh metric tonne of paddy in Kharif season from the farmers. The 55 lakh metric tonne of paddy will be equivalent to 37 lakh metric tonne of rice.

However, the government can revise the target if the need so arises.

The paddy will be procured between November 2018 and April 2019.

The paddy would be procured from farmers by payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Notably, the central government has fixed the MSP on paddy. As per the decision, while Rs 1750 will be provided for the common variety of paddy per quintal, Rs 1770 will be provided for Grade-A variety to farmers.

The state government had procured 49.06 lakh metric tonne paddy in Kharif and Rabi season in 2017-18.

The farmers would be paid to their bank accounts within 24 to 72 hours after the procurement of paddy.

The government said the past practice of deducting towards consumption requirement at 3 quintals of paddy per member in the family of the farmer for computation of marketable surplus of paddy is waived out from KMS 2018-19.

This will facilitate entry of more small and marginal farmers and actual tillers of soil including sharecroppers into the procurement fold.

The cabinet also approved the guidelines of new scheme Ama Gaon Ama Bikas.

The major objective of the scheme is to take up construction of new projects, which will contribute to the overall development of community and well being of general people.