Separate procurement centres for fine, non-fine rice varieties: Uttam Kumar Reddy
The Hindu
Government announces separate procurement centres for fine and non-fine rice varieties with ₹500 bonus per quintal incentive.
Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that separate procurement centres for procuring fine variety rice (sanna rakam) and non-fine variety rice (doddu rakam) as the Government has decided to provide ₹500 bonus per quintal for fine variety from this year.
The respective district Collectors will come up with the details of the venues for both the varieties and the farmers will be given complete information.
The Minister reviewed the comprehensive plan for procuring paddy during the Kharif 2024-25 season with the Cabinet sub-committee on paddy procurement. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, Civil Supplies Principal Secretary and Commissioner D.S. Chauhan, Principal Secretary of Agriculture Raghunandan were among those present.
The Committee deliberated on various logistical aspects, including hiring godowns, securing bank guarantees from rice millers, milling charges, and addressing the drying loss issues related to paddy.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted the Government’s intention to encourage .farmers to cultivate fine variety by offering an additional ₹500 per quintal above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy delivered to designated Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs). The fortified fine variety rice will be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) starting in January 2025, depending on availability.
He said to streamline the procurement process, the Agriculture Department will share crop data with the Online Paddy Management System (OPMS), ensuring accurate information on the paddy varieties grown in the State. This system will enable efficient procurement, making payments directly to farmers’ accounts.
Similarly, the Civil Supplies Department would run a comprehensive awareness campaign to educate farmers about the ₹500 per quintal incentive. In addition, training sessions will be conducted for PPC staff to ensure the correct identification of the fine variety.