The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has procured more than two lakh quintal mark for procurement of paddy in the state and it was due to the consistent efforts of the Himachal Pradesh government, an Agriculture department official said on Thursday.
The official informed that the FCI has bought paddy of farmers through Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee at nine procurement centers in the state.
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In a special move, the payment of paddy purchased from the farmers is also being made within 24 hours and more than Rs 38 crore have been transferred to the accounts of approximately four thousand farmers through direct benefit transfer scheme.
He stated that from 15 October 2021, paddy procurement has been started through various procurement centers in Sirmaur, Una, Kangra and Solan districts.
These procurement centers have been set up at Haripur-Tohana, Kala Amb and Pipliwala in Sirmaur district, Takarla Mandi and Tahliwal in Una district, Fatehpur Mandi and Indora at Tiorah in Kangra district and Nalagarh Mandi and Malpur in Solan district.
So far, about 2,14,311.95 quintals of paddy has been procured through these centers by benefitting about 4,474 farmers, the official said.
He further stated that about 1,01,808.78 quintals of paddy has been procured in Sirmaur district alone, about 19,612.16 quintals in Una, about 51,685.50 quintals in Kangra and 41205.52 quintals approx in Solan district.
As per the instructions of the state government and the Agriculture minister, the APMC has played an important role in the procurement process by ensuring timely payment and procurement of the produce of the farmers, he added.
