Kharif paddy procurement from November 1

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh will begin procurement of Kharif paddy from November 1, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar said, assuring farmers that comprehensive arrangements were being made for procurement, transportation and milling. Speaking at a workshop organized by the Civil Supplies Department in Vijayawada, Manohar said the government planned to establish 2,619 paddy procurement centers across the State and procure around 37 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the season.

Around 24,000 personnel would be deployed for the procurement operations, while 31,000 vehicles would be made available to transport paddy from threshing yards to rice mills, he said. The government was also planning to reimburse transportation costs to farmers this season.The minister said the impact of El Niño had resulted in lower estimates of crop yields and, consequently, the expected quantity of paddy available for procurement. 

However, he directed officials to ensure that farmers were able to sell their produce on time and were not left with stocks for prolonged periods.The workshop was organized to coordinate the involvement of various departments in the procurement process, including management of procurement centers, transportation, supply of gunny bags, milling capacity and payment procedures. Minister Manohar stressed the need for advance planning so that payments to farmers were not delayed after their paddy was procured.

He called for close coordination among officials and departments to ensure smooth movement of produce from procurement centers to mills. The government’s procurement arrangements are aimed at ensuring that farmers have access to designated centers and that the entire chain, from procurement and transportation to milling and payment is completed without unnecessary delays.