In a remarkable achievement for Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural sector, agencies have successfully procured over 7.28 lakh metric tonnes of paddy under the Kharif procurement season for 2024-25.

This is a significant increase compared to the previous year, where by November 25, 2023, agencies had procured 5.79 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. The current season shows an additional 1.49 lakh metric tonnes have been purchased, officials said here on Tuesday.

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As part of these efforts, farmers have already received a payment of Rs 1,464 crore, ensuring timely financial support. These impressive procurement numbers highlight the effective implementation of the state’s agricultural policies and challenge claims made by the opposition, which have been deemed baseless.

Officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department conduct regular inspections at procurement centres across districts to ensure smooth operations. Additionally, in alignment with the CM’s directives, payments to farmers are being processed within 48 hours.

Notably, paddy procurement in Uttar Pradesh is progressing rapidly. As of November 25 this year, agencies have purchased more than 7.28 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, which is an increase of 1.49 lakh metric tonnes compared to the 5.79 lakh metric tonnes bought by the same date in 2023-24. So far, paddy has been purchased from 105,439 farmers.

Recently, CM Yogi held a review meeting at his official residence to assess the paddy procurement process. He instructed officials to ensure speed and transparency in the procurement and emphasised that farmers should receive payments within 48 hours. He also directed regular reviews of the process. To date, Rs 1,464 crore has been paid to farmers.

CM Yogi further instructed that basic facilities like seating, shade, and drinking water should be provided at procurement centres. Following these instructions, the local administration and the Food and Civil Supplies Department have been conducting regular inspections of the procurement centres, with their headquarters also monitoring the process.

In western Uttar Pradesh, paddy procurement began on October 1 and will continue until January 31, 2025. During this period, paddy is being purchased in Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Jhansi, and Lucknow divisions, including Hardoi, Sitapur, and Lakhimpur Kheri.

Similarly, in eastern Uttar Pradesh, paddy procurement started on November 1 and will continue until February 28. Procurement is running smoothly in Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Basti, Devipatan, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Vindhyachal, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, and Unnao districts of Lucknow division.

The government has set the support price for paddy at Rs 2,300 per quintal and Rs 2,320 per quintal for Grade A paddy. Farmers are also being reimbursed Rs 20 per quintal for activities such as threshing, cleaning, and sorting. A total of 4,215 procurement centres have been set up by the Food and Civil Supplies Department and other agencies across Uttar Pradesh for farmers to sell their paddy. These centres are operational from 9 am to 5 pm. This year, sharecropper farmers are also registering and renewing their details to sell their paddy.

To ensure farmers do not face any issues, a toll-free helpline number, 18001800150, has been set up. Farmers can contact this number for assistance. Additionally, they can reach out to district food marketing officers, regional marketing officers at the tehsil level, or block marketing inspectors to address any issues or complaints.