Sanjay Gilhotra

New Delhi. Government agencies have procured paddy equivalent to 112.78 lakh tonnes of rice so far during the current kharif marketing season (October – September) as against 102.6 lakh tonnes on this date last year. It represents an increase of 10.14 lakh tonnes (10%) over the corresponding period of previous year. 183 lakh tonnes of paddy has arrived in the market this season so far.

Punjab has contributed 90.58 lakh tonnes followed by Haryana with 17.6 lakh tonnes, Chhattisgarh 1.52 lakh tonnes, Uttar Pradesh 94.24 thousand tonnes, Kerala 83.3 thousand tonnes, Tamil Nadu, 22.1 thousand tonnes and Chandigarh 13.33 thousand tonnes.

Besides FCI and NAFED, State Governments, Cooperatives, Confed, UPSS, Agro-Industries, SFC and rice millers are also involved in procurement of paddy. Share of rice millers and dealers in the paddy procurement is to the tune of 10 lakh tonnes in different states.