Madhya Pradesh has procured over 1.4 mln tn of key kharif crops--jowar, bajra, and paddy--harvested in 2020-21 (Jul-Jun) so far under the price support scheme, a state farm department official said today. "Procurement has been doubled in less than a fortnight. The highest procurement was of paddy at minimum support price from 219,634 farmers," the official said.
Bajra was bought from over 33,000 farmers and jowar from 5,556 farmers. State-run agencies procured around 1.2 mln tn paddy in 2020-21 (Oct-Sep) kharif marketing season. The remaining procurement was of bajra and jowar. The procurement drive is likely to gather pace in the coming days as the harvest has been completed and farmers want to sell the crops to arrange for funds ahead of rabi sowing, the official said.
Madhya Pradesh, one of the leading growers of paddy, aims to procure 4 mln tn during the 2020-21 (Oct-Sep) marketing year, up around 54% from last year. The Centre has raised the minimum support price of common variety paddy for 2020-21 (Jul-Jun) to 1,868 rupees per 100 kg from 1,815 rupees and that of Grade A paddy to 1,888 rupees from 1,835 rupees.
Madhya Pradesh has raised its paddy procurement target for the 2020-21 marketing season amid hope of a larger crop. The state is also among the major growers of coarse cereals. The Centre has fixed the minimum support price for the hybrid variety of jowar at 2,620 rupees per 100 kg against 2,550 rupees and that of maldandi variety at 2,640 rupees per 100 kg against 2,570 rupees. The minimum support price for bajra harvested in 2020-21 has been raised to 2,150 rupees per 100 kg from 2,000 rupees.
