Tripura to procure 40,000 MT paddy at MSP from farmers: Food Minister
The government of Tripura has set a target to procure 40,000 metric tonnes of paddy from State farmers at minimum support price in the Kharif season. The paddy will be procured at the rate of Rs 21.83 per kg. The paddy will be procured from 49 paddy procurement centers in the state which will begin on December 11, 2023, and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2024.
The announcement was made by Food Minister Sushanta Chowdhury at a joint press conference organized by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the Department of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs at the Press Conference Hall of the Secretariat in Agartala on Saaturday. Agriculture Minister Ratanlal Nath was also present at the press conference.
Chowdhury said that the procurement of paddy at minimum support price will begin from a paddy procurement center in Melaghar district of Sepahijala on December 11. A virtual meeting was held today with the district magistrates of various subdivisions, agricultural officials of eight districts, and officials of various levels of the Food Department under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister Ratanlal Nath in this regard.
The Food Minister said the state government has been procuring paddy twice a year since the current government was formed in the state in 2018. Keeping that continuity, the state government has decided to procure 40,000 metric tonnes of paddy from the farmers of the state in this Kharif season.
Agriculture Minister Ratanlal Nath said that the state government started procuring paddy from farmers at minimum support price in 2018 with the aim of doubling the income of the farmers of the state. This initiative was taken to encourage farmers to work in agriculture and to ensure that they get the fair price of their produce. He gave information that 1 lakh 79 thousand 219 metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 91 thousand 377 farmers of the state at minimum support price from 2018-19 to 2022-23. As a result, the farmers have received Rs 342 crore 34 lakh.
Highlighting the comparative increase in the minimum support price since 2018-19 for the benefit of farmers, the Agriculture Minister said that the minimum support price of per kg of paddy was Rs 17.50 in 2018-19, now it is Rs 21.83.
He highlighted the content of the discussion on agricultural improvement at the virtual conference organized by ICAR for the northeastern states on December 1. The Agriculture Minister mentioned that the state government is constantly moving forward towards food self-sufficiency and doubling the income of farmers.
Special Secretary of the Department of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Rahul Hemendra Kumar, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Sharadindu Das, and Additional Director of the Department of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Animesh Debbarma were also present at the press conference.
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