News Analysis India

Tag: Paddy Procurement

  • Ashok Gehlot urges Centre to start paddy procurement in Rajasthan

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has written to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, urging him to start procurement of paddy on the support price in the state at the earliest.

    According to a statement, Gehlot said 2.62 lakh metric tonnes of paddy is estimated to be produced during 2021-22 in Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar districts and in such a situation, a target of procuring 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy on the support price should be fixed.

    He wrote that the Union government has set a target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022 and the purchase of agricultural commodities at support price has a direct impact on their income.

    Gehlot said if the procurement is not started early, then these farmers will not be able to get the proper price for their produce like last year and they will have to suffer financial losses.

  • Congress seeks relaxation in moisture norms for early procurement of paddy at MSP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday demanded an immediate start of procurement of paddy and other Kharif crops at minimum support price (MSP) after relaxation in norms for moisture content.

    The Centre had on Saturday issued an order to commence paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana from October 3 after its earlier decision to postpone procurement till October 11 due to recent heavy rains sparked protests.

    Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the government was “conspiring to end the MSP” by delaying procurement and “not relaxing norms for moisture content in paddy.”

    He demanded that the Centre grant compensation within seven days to farmers whose crops have been damaged by the recent rains from the national disaster relief fund.

    “Conspiring to attack the livelihood of farmers and labourers has become the habit of the Modi government. Earlier it was delaying the procurement of paddy and other crops and now they are attacking the livelihood of farmers by not relaxing norms for moisture content in paddy,” he alleged in a statement.

    The Congress leader said the procurement of crops in Punjab and Haryana was to start by September 25, which was changed even as lakhs of quintals of crops were lying in various mandis.

    No procurement of even a single rupee has so far taken place at the minimum support price announced by the government, he claimed.

    The Haryana government has once again changed to October 3 the date for government procurement at MSP, he said, adding that no crops can be procured at MSP as per existing norms which allow up to 17 percent moisture in crops, whereas crops in the market have a moisture content of 22 to 22.7 percent currently.

    “The Congress demands that the government immediately relaxes the procurement norms for moisture content in crops so that farmers can get relief and their crops are not destroyed. But, the truth is that the Modi government is deliberately conspiring to do like this so that no procurement can take place and the MSP regime can end,” Surjewala alleged.

    “The Congress also demands that the government allows relaxation of up to 25 per cent moisture in paddy for procurement at MSP, which should start immediately. The Congress also demands that the BJP should stop its conspiracy to end MSP regime and grant compensation to farmers within seven days from the national disaster relief fund, for crops damaged in recent rains,” he said.

    The government is “deliberately delaying the procurement of crops so that the farmers do not get the MSP for their crops and are compelled to sell in distress”, he alleged, adding that this is happening for the first time in independent India.

  • Farmers break barricades, face water cannons in Punjab, Haryana during protest

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Farmers broke police barricades and faced water cannons, including near Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s house in Karnal, as they laid siege on residences of legislators and ministers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday to protest the delay in commencement of paddy crop procurement.

    The Centre on Thursday had postponed procurement of kharif paddy in Punjab and Haryana, which usually begins on October 1, to October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed and moisture content in fresh arrival is beyond permissible limits owing to recent heavy rains.

    In Karnal, the Haryana Police used water cannons to disperse protesting farmers after they tried to lay siege on Khattar’s residence, while in Shahabad and Panchkula, the agitators used tractors to break police barricades to reach houses of BJP leaders, including Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh, officials said.

    The situation became tense in a few places in Haryana and Punjab after minor clashes broke out between farmers and police.

    In several places in these states farmers after reaching residences of ministers, legislators and MPs, parked their food grain-laden trolleys in front of their houses.

    While the BJP in alliance with the JJP is in power in Haryana, the Congress is the ruling party in Punjab, and both state governments have urged the Centre to ensure farmers do not face any problem in paddy procurement.

    In Punjab, farmers gathered outside the residences of several Congress legislators, including state assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh in Rupnagar and MLA Harjot Kamal in Moga, and staged protests over the delay in purchase of paddy crop.

    While Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask government agencies to begin paddy procurement, Khattar along with Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal rushed to Delhi on Saturday to ensure farmers do not face any problems in crop procurement.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, on Friday had given a call for holding protests outside the residences of legislators in Punjab and Haryana to register their protest.

    Police said that there was no report of any “major” untoward incident from the two states.

    The procurement operation is undertaken by the central government’s nodal agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) along with state agencies.

    Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the farmers’ agitation is getting “violent day by day”.

    “Farmers’ agitation is getting violent day by day. Violent movement in the country of Mahatma Gandhi cannot be allowed,” said Vij in a tweet.

    Police personnel were deployed in strength to maintain law and order, the officials said. Farmers expressed apprehension that they would suffer if their crop is not purchased at the grain markets.

    Paddy crop, though in small quantity, has started arriving in mandis (markets) especially in border areas of Punjab, farmers said.

    They said the farmers who have brought their crop at mandis, will go if their crop is not purchased.

    Some fear that they would be forced to sell crops below the minimum support price to private traders.

  • Farmers hold protests across Punjab, Haryana over delay in paddy procurement

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday held protests at many places against postponing of paddy procurement.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Friday had given a call for holding protests outside the residences of legislators in both states to register their protest over the delay in purchasing paddy crop.

    The Centre on Thursday postponed procurement of kharif paddy in Punjab and Haryana till October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed and moisture content in fresh arrival is beyond permissible limits owing to recent heavy rains.

    The procurement operation is undertaken by the central government’s nodal agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) along with state agencies. Paddy procurement usually commences from October 1.

    Meanwhile, Haryana minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s new laws is getting “violent day by day”.

    “Farmers’ agitation is getting violent day by day. Violent movement in the country of Mahatma Gandhi cannot be allowed”, said Vij in a tweet.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to start purchase of paddy crop.

    “The farmers of Punjab are upset, the central government has postponed the purchase of paddy for 10 days, farmer is standing outside the mandis carrying lakhs of quintals of paddy on his tractor,” said Kejriwal in a tweet.

    In Punjab, farmers gathered outside the residences of several Congress legislators, including Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana K P Singh in Rupnagar and MLA Harjot Kamal in Moga and staged protests over delay in the purchase of paddy crop.

    Police personnel were deployed in strength to maintain law and order, said officials.

    Farmers expressed apprehension that they would suffer if their crop is not purchased at the grain markets. Paddy crop, though in small quantity, has started arriving in mandis especially in border areas of Punjab, said farmers.

    They questioned where the farmers, who have brought their crop at mandis, will go if their produce is not purchased. Some fear that they would be forced to sell their crop below the minimum support price (MSP) to private traders.

    A farmer in Haryana’s Karnal said his paddy crop will get damaged by October 11 when the Centre would start procuring it. At some places, farmers even handed over memorandum to the Deputy Commissioners demanding commencement of paddy purchase.

    In Haryana’s Ambala, police put up barricades to prevent farmers from laying siege to the residence of BJP legislator Aseem Goel. A fire fighting vehicle and a water cannon vehicle were also deployed outside the residence of the MLA.

    Tight security arrangement has been made outside the residence of Minister Vij at Ambala Cantonment, said officials.

  • Farmers agitation getting violent day by day: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij

    By IANS

    CHANDIGARH: Amidst the anger for postponing the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana by the Central government, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the agitation of farmers is getting violent day by day.

    “The violent movement in the country of Mahatma Gandhi won’t be allowed. The leaders of farmers should keep patience during the agitation,” Vij said in a tweet.

    किसान आंदोलन दिंन प्रतिदिन हिंसक होता जा रहा है । महात्मा गांधी के देश मे हिंसक आंदोलन की इजाजत नहीं दी जा सकती । किसान नेता अपने आंदोलन को संयम में रखें ।
    — ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) October 2, 2021
    The Centre on Friday said, delaying the paddy procurement, which was supposed to have started on October 1 from Punjab and Haryana to October 11, is in the “overall interest of farmers and consumers as well because of the untimely rains, maturity of paddy grains is delayed”.

    As per Indian Meteorological Department data, rainfall during September 2021 is 77 per cent and 139 per cent above normal in Punjab and Haryana, respectively, a release from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said.

    Punjab and Haryana witnessed widespread protest and anger over the delay in the procurement. A day earlier even Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and requested him to take back the decision to postpone the paddy procurement by 10 days.

    As a protest, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal accompanied a trolley filled with paddy to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) head office here to get the moisture content of the food grain checked.

    Talking to the media, Badal said the postponement in paddy procurement would spell doom for the state’s economy. “Farmers had planned in advance and had started harvesting their crop since the last few days. Paddy had also reached ‘mandis’ in the state. Postponing procurement will not only result in harassment of farmers but will also jeopardize the paddy crop in case of inclement weather,” he said.

  • Centre to cross-check farmers land records before paddy procurement from October

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: In a first, the Centre has decided to cross-check land records before the procurement of paddy from next month in a bid to ensure the MSP reaches farmers and not traders, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said on Monday.

    Most procuring states, barring Assam and Uttarakhand as well as Jammu and Kashmir, are ready and have also integrated digital land records with the Centre’s nodal procurement agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) for this purpose, he told reporters.

    Asserting that this new mechanism is in the interest of farmers, Pandey said the crop cultivated by farmers whether in their own land or in rented land will be procured by the government.

    “It is not necessary for farmers to own the land or not. If farmers have cultivated any land, that will be procured,” he said.

    The whole idea is to cross check how much crop has been cultivated in what area and accordingly procure it, he said, adding this is where digital land records integrated centrally with FCI will help during the procurement process.

    The main objective behind this mechanism is that the government procures the crop from genuine farmers and not from traders.

    According to the Secretary, “most states including Punjab are in complete readiness.

    ” Every state wants farmers to benefit from the procurement process and not the traders.

    This mechanism will ensure the minimum support price (MSP) reaches farmers and not traders, he said.

    Many states like Uttar Pradesh and Odisha had already integrated their land records, while some states had not done and they are doing this year, he added.

    Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, who was also present in the media briefing, said the government’s intention is to ensure actual farmers get the benefit of MSP procurement, which the government has increased substantially in the last five years.

    The Centre procured 3,449 lakh tonne of paddy at a MSP value of Rs 6,02,156 crore between 2016-17 and 2020-21, while 1,627 lakh tonne of wheat at MSP value of Rs 2,85,071 crore in the same period.

    This is much higher than 2,495 lakh tonne of paddy at a MSP value of Rs 2,88,871 crore between 2009-10 and 2013-14, while 1,395 lakh tonne of wheat at MSP value of Rs 1,68,223 crore in the same period, he said.

    The procurement of pulses and oilseeds has also increased.

    In the 2020-21 marketing year (October-September), a record 879.01 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured at MSP value of Rs 1,65,956.90 crore, while a record wheat of 389.93 lakh tonne at MSP value of Rs 75,060 crore in the 2021-22 marketing year (April-March), he added.

    These efforts are being made over the last five years only in the interest of farmers and the government wants the benefit of MSP reaches to the genuine farmers, he added.

  • Elephants liking paddy will lead to more conflicts: Wildlife experts on Chhattisgarh govt’s ‘experimental’ project

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: Wildlife experts have explicitly called the decision of the Chhattisgarh government’s decision to use the surplus quantity of available paddy to feed the wild elephants “misconceived and inadvisable.”

    The plan is to be launched shortly by the state forest department as a pilot project in districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    “The Indian elephants are endangered Schedule-1 animals. Section 32 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 says ‘a ban on use of injurious substances’. No person shall use chemicals, explosives or any other substance that may cause injury or endanger any wildlife in a sanctuary. So, the action of the Chhattisgarh government apparently stands in violation of the given Act. If the paddy gets rotten in open forest, it might cause disease for elephants or wildlife”, asserted K K Bisen, former chief conservator of forest, who had extensive groundwork on behaviours of pachyderms.

    Similarly, Amalendu Mishra, State Wildlife Advisory Board member, who follows movements of wild elephants in north Chhattisgarh, dubbed the decision as ‘unwise’. “Not a good initiative. The paddy is not their main food”, he said.

    Prakash Sasha of the Elsa Foundation, organisation devoted to elephant welfare, expressed surprise over the plan of the state government. “There are sufficient food available for elephants in the forest. But if they become addicted to a new taste of the farm produce (paddy) then it will further aggravate the human-elephant conflict, in case the wild tuskers didn’t get the paddy in future”, said Sasha.

    Wildlife enthusiasts too were baffled with the latest move of the state. “How could such initiative check the existing conflict or safeguard the human habitats? The paddy is not their natural diet and we should not try to change their diet pattern as this is against the principals of wildlife conservation. Chhattisgarh’s extensive forest already provide varieties as food to these wild elephants”, affirmed Nitin Singhvi, wildlife enthusiast.

    ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh to ‘experiment’ offering surplus paddy to wild elephants

    However, the state forest minister Mohammed Akbar finds nothing wrong with the decision. “It’s better to keep doing an experiment rather than to sit and do nothing”, he said.

    His colleague and the state food minister Amarjeet Bhagat said, “We already have surplus paddy and there is no harm in carrying such trials to utilise the stored paddy so as to minimise the man-animal conflict”.

    The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation that executes the paddy procurement process under support price scheme has written to the forest department over making available the paddy procured during 2019-20 in those districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    The divisional forest officers (DFOs) of nine districts have been apprised regarding the availability of paddy at various procurement centres at a high price Rs 2095 per quintal.

  • Chhattisgarh to ‘experiment’ offering surplus paddy to wild elephants

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Apparently in a fix over usage and consumption of the huge quantity of procured paddy, the Chhattisgarh government has gone for yet another experiment to use the surplus quantity to feed wild elephants.

    The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation that executes the work of paddy procurement under support price scheme has written to the forest department over making available the paddy procured during 2019-20 in those districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    “We already have surplus paddy and there is no harm in carrying such experiment to utilise the stored paddy so as to minimise the man-animal conflict”, said Amarjeet Bhagat, the state food minister.

    The programme is to be executed by the respective divisional forest officers (DFOs) of Gariyaband, Balod, Sarguja, Raigarh, Surajpur, Korba, Dhamtari, Kanker and Mahasamund. They have been apprised regarding the availability of paddy at various procurement centres at a high price Rs 2095 per quintal.

    Since last year, Chhattisgarh has been endeavouring to sell the un-allocated (surplus about 20.5 LMT) paddy through auction at a base rate of Rs 2035 in open market. But so far the state has not received an encouraging response and is procuring at Rs 2500 per quintal from paddy farmers.

    However, the wildlife enthusiasts were surprised over such a decision. “How could such initiative going to check the human-elephant conflicts or safeguard the human habitats? Never heard any such conservation experiment taken up as a project towards wildlife or elephant management. The state just intends to use the surplus paddy. If the paddy gets damaged or rot, the elephants are intelligent enough never to consume it”, affirmed Nitin Singhvi, wildlife enthusiast. 

    “The paddy will be bought by the DFOs, if required. We are starting it on a pilot project initially”, said P V Narasimha Rao , PCCF (Wildlife).

  • UP: FIR against 3 private firms for not paying farmers after paddy procurement

    By PTI
    BAREILLY: An FIR has been lodged against three private firms, deployed by the Uttar Pradesh government for paddy procurement, for not making payment to farmers for their purchase.

    The government procures wheat and paddy through its various departments as well as non-government systems.

    Around 15 firms in Bareilly district were registered for paddy procurement, the Regional Marketing Officer of the food department, Gyan Chand Verma, who lodged the FIR, said on Thursday.

    Adarsh Agro Producer Company of Nawabganj, Shubh Kirti Producer Company Limited of Bareilly and Pilibhit Farmer Producer Company of Jehanabad were permitted by the district magistrate to purchase paddy on November 6 last year.

    A lot of paddy was procured from October 2020 to January 15, 2021, and the registered companies gradually made payments to the farmers.

    But 109 farmers were found to have Rs 117 lakh pending with these companies for the last five months, Verma said.

    The farmers had complained to the administration about non-receipt of their payment and the marketing branch of the Food Department also took note of it, he said.

    An FIR was lodged in Nawabganj police station against Jagdish Saran Gangwar, Harish Gangwar and Prem Kumar, the secretaries of Adarsh Agro Producer Company, Shubh Kirti Producer Company Limited and Pilibhit Farmer Producer Company respectively under section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of IPC.

    The regional marketing officer of Nawabganj said despite written warnings and multiple notices, these three companies did not make payment to farmers even after five months.

    The farmers are being exploited financially and mentally.

    Therefore, an FIR has been lodged against the three firms to ensure due payment to the farmers, Verma said.

  • Bought paddy, custom milling and Supebheda case in Chhattisgarh assembly today

    Today is the fourth day of the budget session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. The matter of paddy purchase, custom milling and supebheda will be heard in the house today.

    Ajay Chandrakar, Punnulal Mohle and Narayan Chandel from the BJP will take up the matter in question. He will call attention of the government for not initiating the water magnification scheme in Superbeda through attention notice.

    In the Question Hour, most of the questions have been related to the department of Urban Administration Minister Shiv Kumar Dahria and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat.