At 2.8L MT, paddy procurement achieves 105% of target in dist

Prayagraj: Prayagraj district has set record of paddy procurement following govt purchase at an increased MSP, besides increase in number of procurement centres and elimination of middlemen.District food and marketing officer Avinash Chandra Sagarwal said paddy procurement began this financial year on Nov 1 and concluded on Feb 28 and this year, against the target to procure 2.73 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, 2.88 lakh metric tonnes was procured, representing 105% of the target. During the same period last year, 2.73 lakh metric tonnes paddy was procured, while in 2023-24, the figure was only 2.1 lakh metric tonnes. Number of procurement centres in the district increased to ensure administration reached a greater number of farmers. This year, 177 paddy procurement centres were set up, compared to 161 last year. Earlier, there were only 88 centres. Significantly, payments were made directly to farmers' accounts within 48 hours of sale. By Feb 28, 47,714 farmers in the district received payments directly in their accounts.To ensure paddy procurement and timely payments, govt implemented an OTP-based single registration system. Money was transferred directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, eliminating need for any referrals. Paddy procurement at centres was conducted through e-POP (electronic point of purchase) devices.