Haryana and Punjab are well on their way to meeting their paddy procurement targets, having already purchased 112 lakh tonne despite a delayed start due to heavy rains, the Food Ministry said on Wednesday.
The procurement is in full swing in key districts like Kaithal and Kurukshetra in Haryana, approaching last year's levels, it said in a statement.
As of Tuesday, Rs 13,211 crore has been released to 3.5 lakh farmers in Punjab and Rs 10,529 crore to 2.75 lakh farmers in Haryana in the ongoing 2024-25 kharif marketing season (October-September), it added.
To date, 10 lakh farmers in Punjab and 4.06 lakh farmers in Haryana have registered to sell their produce this year.
The ministry expressed confidence that both states will achieve their procurement targets - 185 lakh tonne for Punjab and 60 lakh tonne for Haryana - by the stipulated dates of Nov. 30 and Nov. 15, respectively.
"The procurement operations are ongoing in full swing in both the states," the ministry said, adding that "not a single grain shall be left unprocured."
While procurement is down 20.3% in Punjab at 67 lakh tonne and 13.46% in Haryana at 45 lakh tonne compared to last year, the ministry said the states are 'well on track' to meet their goals.
Around 4 lakh tonne of paddy is being lifted daily from Punjab mandis, and 1.5 lakh tonne from Haryana.
The delay in procurement was due to higher moisture content following heavy September rains, but the ministry assured the MSP payments are being made to farmers via direct bank transfers within 48 hours.
An App-based FCI Grievance Redressal System for rice millers has been launched to facilitate rice millers in getting their grievances addressed by the Food Corporation of India in an efficient, transparent and time-bound manner.
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