Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said on Monday that it had been decided to purchase paddy grown during the kharif season at a price of ₹ 1,750 per quintal as fixed by the Union government in the district.
Chairing the District Task Force meeting at the District Offices Complex here, Ms. Francis said that the district administration had decided to seek permission from the Union government to open Paddy Procurement Centres in the district. The harvesting operations of the paddy for the kharif season had started in the district. At present, paddy is being sold at ₹ 1,650 per quintal.
In the coming days, harvesting will increase and this will augment arrivals in the market. This might result in the prices of paddy going down. Hence, to avoid any trouble to farmers, the Paddy Procurement Centres should be started to purchase grain at the price fixed by the Union government. She directed the Assistant Director of Agriculture to immediately write to the State government too seeking permission.
She urged farmers to store paddy in a proper manner in their granaries so that it retained quality.
