Bhubaneswar: The Mohan Majhi government in Odisha has set the paddy procurement during the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2024-25 at one crore metric tonnes (MT) with an enhanced minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,100 per quintal.
Reviewing preparations for implementation of the MSP for paddy by departments concerned at a high-level meeting attended by five ministers, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday directed officials to streamline paddy procurement process at mandis (markets) and ensure that farmers benefit from the increased MSP. “The state government has set a target of procuring one crore tonne of paddy this year. Necessary arrangements should be made at mandis for the convenience of farmers,” he said.
The state is currently producing 68 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
To reduce the role of intermediaries and agents, paddy collection vehicles will be tracked via GPS using the E-Vahan app and an automatic grain analyser will be employed to check paddy quality during procurement. A team of officials from Agriculture, Food Supplies, Panchayati Raj and Revenue departments will also conduct field visits to monitor the procurement process.
The meeting also discussed constructing godowns under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
In 2024 elections, BJP in its manifesto for Odisha promised to buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, 42% more than the then minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,183, if it formed a government in the state.
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