Uttar Pradesh Commences Paddy Procurement With Prompt Payments

The Uttar Pradesh government will begin paddy procurement on October 1, starting in western districts and moving eastward. Payments to farmers will be processed within 48 hours. The minimum support price is set at Rs 2,300 per quintal. Around 4,000 purchase centers have been established statewide.

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to initiate paddy procurement across the state from October 1, with assurances that farmers will receive payments within 48 hours of their sale.

The procurement process will commence in phases, starting with western Uttar Pradesh and gradually extending to the eastern districts later in the month, according to an official statement released on Monday.

Procurement will begin on October 1 in Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur, followed by Lucknow, Rae Bareli, and Unnao from November 1, among other districts. The process is expected to continue until January 31, covering various regions.

The minimum support price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,300 per quintal, and Rs 2,320 per quintal for grade A paddy. Additionally, farmers will be reimbursed Rs 20 per quintal for unloading, sieving, and cleaning their produce.

Approximately 4,000 purchase centers have been established by the Food and Civil Supplies Department to facilitate this extensive procurement operation. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that payments be processed expeditiously to ensure timely financial support for farmers.

Registration for the paddy purchase scheme began on September 1, with around 32,000 farmers already registered. The Agriculture Department projects a paddy cultivation area of 61.24 lakh hectares for the Kharif marketing year 2024-25, with expected production of 265.54 lakh metric tonnes and an average yield of 43.36 quintals per hectare.

(With inputs from agencies.)